unlearn

English

Etymology

From Middle English unlernen, equivalent to un- +‎ learn.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈləːn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ʌnˈlɝn/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)n

Verb

unlearn (third-person singular simple present unlearns, present participle unlearning, simple past and past participle unlearned or unlearnt)

1. (transitive) To discard the knowledge of.
   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 80:

     It was another lesson from Fort Hare that I had to unlearn in Johannesburg.

   • 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 231:

     It is a language that, once learnt, I have been unable to unlearn.

2. (transitive) To break a habit.

Translations

to discard the knowledge of

• Catalan: desaprendre (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 揚棄／扬弃 (zh) (yángqì)

• Dutch: afleren (nl), verleren (nl)
• Esperanto: mallerni
• French: désapprendre (fr)
• Italian: disimparare (it)
• Latin: dēdiscō
• Portuguese: desaprender
• Russian: разу́чиваться (ru) impf (razúčivatʹsja), разучи́ться (ru) pf (razučítʹsja), оту́чиваться (ru) impf (otúčivatʹsja), отучи́ться (ru) pf (otučítʹsja)
• Spanish: desaprender (es)
• Turkish: unutmak (tr) sg

to break a habit

• Dutch: afwennen (nl)

See also

• deprogramming

Anagrams

• annuler