unwritten

Everyday

1. Unwritten means not written down; existing only in speech or memory. tree →
2. An unwritten rule is one that everybody follows or knows, even though nobody wrote it down. tree →
3. Unwritten can also mean not yet written, like an unwritten story or chapter. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life: unwritten rules, like not taking the last biscuit or queuing politely. In history and law: the UK has an «unwritten constitution» (not one single document). In language lessons: some languages are unwritten, passed on by speaking.

Examples

• It's an unwritten rule not to sit in Grandad's chair. tree →
• The UK is said to have an unwritten constitution. tree →
• Some languages are still unwritten. tree →
• The ending of the story is still unwritten. tree →
• Queuing at the bus stop is an unwritten rule. tree →
• The old songs were unwritten and passed on by singing. tree →
• The response of Uncle Remus led to the earnest recital of a piece of unwritten history that must prove interesting to ethnologists. tree →

Note

From the irregular verb «write – wrote – written»; double t. Opposite: «written». An unwritten rule is real even though it has no paper.