unlegibleadj.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈlɛdʒᵻbl/, U.S. /ˌənˈlɛdʒəb(ə)l/ Somewhat rare after 18th cent., illegible adj. being the more usual word.
Illegible, unreadable. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > handwriting or style of > [adjective] > bad > illegible or untidy
unlegible1451
foul?1467
scribbled1550
scribbling1592
crabbed1612
hieroglyphical1613
scrabbled1625
illegible1640
unreadable1655
scribbly1659
pot-hook1674
scrawlinga1754
undecipherable1758
scribblative1829
scrawly1833
scrawny1833
scrawled1848
hieroglyphic1856
pot-hooky1867
scriggly1896
chicken scratch1933
1451 in W. Fraser Earls of Cromartie (1876) I. 346 Seing..the said chartour..becumit almaist vnlegable.
1591 King James VI & I Poet. Exercises To Rdr. sig. 2v Re-mark the wrong orthography committed by the copiars of my vnlegible and ragged hand.
1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. x. i. 892/2 The letter was..somewhat vnlegible.
1655 Ld. Orrery Parthenissa II. i. vi. 150 Perceiveing my joy in my Face, it inflam'd his to such a degree, that for a good while his choller was vnleagible in any thing else.
1671 A. Wood Life & Times (1892) II. 226 The base and unlegible hand of the translator.
1717 Gen. Hist. Rebellions in Eng. 88 A Letter directed to the Lord Mont-Eagle from an unknown Hand, somewhat unlegible.
1771 J. Foot Penseroso iii. 114 Broken and unlegible shall stand The frail memorial.
1861 W. Richards Pocket Dict. Welsh-Eng. 24/1 Annarllenol, unlegible.
1927 Oak Leaves (Oak Park, Illinois) 10 Sept. 31/1 Printers are known for their ability to decipher all kinds of unlegible copy.
1994 Ukiah (Calif.) Daily Jrnl. 15 June 5/5 We all, I think, are aware of poor, almost unlegible handwriting.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1451