unattachedadj.
/ˌʌnəˈtatʃt/, U.S. /ˌənəˈtætʃt/ΘΚΠ
society > authority > lack of subjection > freedom or liberty > [adjective] > not made captive
unnomec1300
uncaught1340
unhenta1375
untakena1375
unseizeda1400
unattached1498
uncaptived1601
uncaptured1885
1498 in M. Livingstone Reg. Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum (1908) I. 34/2 All his men..to be une-sumond, une-attechit, une-arrestit, in his or thairis persoun or gudis.
1531 in D. H. Fleming Reg. Privy Seal Scotl. (1921) II. 134/2 The saidis personis..to be unattechit, unarrestit,..and untrublit.
1639 R. Younge Sinne Stigmatizd 368 He that is pursued, will cry, Stop Theife, that by this meanes he may escape unattached.
2. Not attached or united (to something).In the first set of quots. used with reference to physical attachment or connection.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > separation or detachment > [adjective]
abjunct1610
detached1706
free1720
loosea1728
disengaged1794
floating1806
unattacheda1821
(a)
(b)a1821 V. Knox Spirit of Despotism §34 True patriotism and true philosophy, unattached to names of particular men, or even to parties.1844 B. Disraeli Coningsby III. viii. vi. 239 Her eye soon glanced over the page, unattached by its contents.1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay iii. 44 ‘Pray do not trouble yourself,’ returned Deering hastily, ‘I can exist for half-an-hour in an unattached condition’.1822 J. Parkinson Outl. Oryctol. 96 Mr. Mantell..ascertained it to have been an unattached animal, and without a column.
1861 H. Macmillan Footnotes from Nature 46 It [the bog-moss] has no roots whatever, but floats unattached in an upright position in the water.
1878 W. de W. Abney Treat. Photogr. 100 Bromide of silver with unattached atoms of metallic silver, is formed.
3. Of persons: Not attached to, or definitely associated with, a particular body, institution, sphere of work, etc.:
a. Of military officers: Not attached to a particular regiment or company.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > lack of subjection > freedom or liberty > independence > [adjective] > unattached
unattached1796
1796 List Officers Army 13 Thomas Nesbitt,..Capt. of Foot, unattached.
1806 List Officers Army 17 Late Unattached Officers.
1826 Gentleman's Mag. 1 638 Promotions..J. Haverfield, from unattached full pay.
1840 F. Marryat Olla Podrida I. vii. 67 He was put on full pay unattached.
1852 R. Burn Naval & Mil. Techn. Dict. French Lang. (ed. 2) i. 122 Mettre en disponibilité, to place on the unattached list.
1859 J. Lang Wanderings in India 363 As a General of Division, he had been unattached, and had never done a single day's duty.
1876 G. E. Voyle & G. de Saint-Clair-Stevenson Mil. Dict. (ed. 3) 445/1 Unattached list, in the British army, officers not attached to regiments.
b. Of clergy: Not attached to a particular diocese or church.
ΚΠ
1865 E. B. Pusey Eirenicon 285 (note) Lord Westbury has..declared him in fact an unattached Bishop.
1902 R. Bagot Donna Diana v. 43 One of the unattached priests to be met with by hundreds in the streets of Rome.
c. Of students: Not attached to any college; non-collegiate. Also transferred and as n.
ΚΠ
1870–1 Ann. Rep. Deleg. Stud. not attached 16 A Grocers' Company's Exhibitioner and Unattached Student in the University of Oxford.
1870–1 Ann. Rep. Deleg. Stud. not attached 4 The amount of intellectual life and industry developed by the Unattached system.
1897 T. H. S. Escott Social Transformations Victorian Age xiv. 184 The Davis scholarship in Chinese was for the fifth time won a few years ago by an unattached.
d. In miscellaneous uses.
ΚΠ
1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xl We must get you in the police force..or make you an inspector, unattached.
1893 P. W. Joyce Short Hist. Ireland 70 The oldest..passed out of the organization altogether, and became an ordinary unattached member of the tribe.
1899 Daily News 26 June 8/4 Reporters attached to no particular journal have dashed up with news.., though the importance of the unattached men has waned.
4.
a. Not engaged or married. Also absol.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > unmarried person(s) > [adjective] > unattached
fancy-free1600
unattached1874
1874 L. Carr Judith Gwynne II. vii. 184 You lovers have such a provoking way of showing your immense superiority to us unattached creatures.
1897 Westm. Gaz. 9 Dec. 10/1 We are absolutely out of single young ladies just now, and..they specially invited some charming ‘unattached’ from Johannesburg.
b. Not belonging to any family, owner, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > non-possession > fact of not being possessed or owned > [adjective] > having no owner
vacant1560
unpossessed1582
unowned1611
unoweda1616
unmastered1793
ownerless1806
unattached1888
1888 Pall Mall Gaz. 11 Oct. 11/2 That would bring to decent places the unattached children.
1898 Tit-Bits 26 Feb. 420/2 40000 cats,..of which half are ‘unattached’, and live largely on refuse.
c. Not assigned to any special group.
ΚΠ
1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VIII. 855 The Microsporon Audouini is as yet ‘unattached’.
Derivatives
unaˈttachedness n.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > lack of social communication or relations > separation or isolation > [noun] > detachment or non-participation > condition of
cut-offness1927
unattachedness1936
1936 L. Wirth & E. A. Shils tr. K. Mannheim Ideol. & Utopia iii. iv. 140 The ‘unattachedness’ of the intellectuals.
1981 M. Warner Joan of Arc iv. 86 The..unattachedness of the displaced and the poor.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1498