unstate means to deprive of state or dignity. It carries an Arena rating of 1610, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, unstate ranks #1,867 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #2,776 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #3,814 of 17,135 for Most Malleable Words, #4,028 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
unstate is pronounced /ʌnˈsteɪt/.
Why “unstate” is a great word
UNSTATE — [Verb] To deprive of official rank, dignity, or status, or to withdraw a previous statement. From the English prefix un- (expressing reversal or deprivation) + state (in the sense of 'condition, rank, or dignity'). First recorded in use 1580–90. Unlike "dethrone," which narrowly implies a regal downfall, or "retract," which is a purely verbal withdrawal, to unstate is a twofold dismantling of social being and spoken truth. It is the quiet removal of a portrait from the gallery of former mayors, the stricken clause in a ledger of nobility, the official letter that renders a proud claim null—a bureaucratic undoing that makes a person or a promise a ghost in its own past.
Etymology
From un- + state (noun).
verb
- To deprive of state or dignity.e.g.“I would unstate myself, to be in a due resolution.” — c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, publishe
- To withdraw (something previously stated); to unsay or retract.e.g.“Of course protectionists will be indignant at this plain way of stating the case; but see if they can unstate it.” — 1884, H. W. Furber, Which? Protection, Free Trade, Or Revenue Reform, page 204:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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