uncharted
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What’s the difference between uncharted and unchartered? Uncharted means unexplored or unmapped, as in uncharted territory or uncharted waters. Unchartered means not having (or not done under) a charter or some other kind of official authorization, as in an unchartered flight. It’s sometimes used to mean unauthorized or lawless, as in unchartered activity. The chart in uncharted refers to a map, but charted is not commonly used as an adjective—most people would say mapped. In contrast, both unchartered and chartered (meaning having a charter or officially authorized) are used.The two words are often used in much different contexts, but there are some cases where both could apply. For example, a remote parcel of land may be both uncharted (unmapped) and unchartered (not bound by any official charters or laws).Here’s an example of uncharted and unchartered used correctly in a sentence.Example: The movie is an adventure about a group of teens who take a secret, unchartered flight to explore an uncharted island. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between uncharted and unchartered.
Etymology
Origin of uncharted
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“About 12 seconds into the opening night of Sphere with U2 back in ‘23, I thought ‘We have to do this, it’s completely uncharted territory!’
From Los Angeles Times
"We have entered a new field of research here, uncharted territory where many exciting discoveries are likely to be made," says Varykhalov.
From Science Daily
The combination has sent Welsh public belief plummeting to uncharted depths.
From BBC
“No boat can get close; the glimourie pushes them away, so gently that they never notice. In the same way planes can’t fly overhead, but they never know it. It’s uncharted and unchartable.”
From Literature
“This is uncharted water. Never before in the country’s history has the government asserted this type of power,” attorney Jonathan Hafetz told The Guardian.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
