untogether

English
WOTD – 22 July 2023

Etymology
PIE word
*de

The adjective and adverb are derived from un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) +‎ together.[1] The noun is probably derived from the adjective.

Pronunciation

Adjective

untogether (comparative more untogether, superlative most untogether)

  1. Not together.
    1. Not cohesive or united; disunited, disparate, separated; also, not coordinated; uncoordinated.
    2. (informal) Of a person or their behaviour: not composed; disorganized, sloppy.
      Synonyms: uncollected, uncomposed
      • 2005, H. D. Adamson, Language Minority Students in American Schools:
        This here little Sister name Mae was most definitely untogether.
      • 2006, John Kevin Young, Black Writers, White Publishers:
        […] Works, which will assist these backward, untogether niggers [sic] in getting themselves together.
    3. (informal) Of a situation: not under control; chaotic, disorganized.

Derived terms

Translations
not cohesive or united — see disunited,‎ disparate,‎ separated
not coordinated — see uncoordinated
of a person or their behaviour: not composed — see disorganized,‎ sloppy
of a situation: not under control — see chaotic,‎ disorganized

Adverb

untogether (comparative more untogether, superlative most untogether)

  1. In a disorderly manner; apart.
    • 2006, John Kevin Young, Black Writers, White Publishers:
      Just as Hinckle terms the dispersed text of Jes Grew “Untogether,” [...]

Noun

untogether (uncountable)

  1. That which is not together.
    • 2007, Gordon Marino, Basic Writings of Existentialism:
      We characterize the together, or the untogether based on it, as a rum. The untogether belonging to such a mode of the together, lacking as something outstanding, can, however, by no means ontologically define the not-yet that belongs to Da-sein as its possible death.

Translations

References
  1. “untogether, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2022; “untogether, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.