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)

(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.
(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)

Anagrams

annuler