unruly

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈruli/ UK /ʌnˈruːli/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
difficult to control or discipline

The substitute struggled with an unruly class.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · difficult to control or... disorderly disobedient wild rebellious uncontrollable waywardrowdy

Opposites

orderly obedient docile compliant disciplined

Word family

Derived forms unrulinessunrulily

Related forms rule

Etymology

From Middle English unreuly, from un- ('not') + reuly ('amenable to rule'), from reule ('rule'), from Old French reule, from Latin regula ('rule').

un- Old English regula Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# unruly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ʌnˈruli
**IPA (UK):** ʌnˈruːli

## Meanings
1. difficult to control or discipline

## Examples
- The substitute struggled with an unruly class.

## Synonyms
- disorderly
- disobedient
- wild
- rebellious
- uncontrollable
- wayward
- rowdy

## Antonyms
- orderly
- obedient
- docile
- compliant
- disciplined

## Derived Forms
- unruliness
- unrulily

## Related Forms
- rule

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: regula

## Etymology
From Middle English unreuly, from un- ('not') + reuly ('amenable to rule'), from reule ('rule'), from Old French reule, from Latin regula ('rule').

## AI Etymology
Unruly comes from Middle English unreuly, from un- ('not') + reuly ('amenable to rule'), from reule ('rule'), from Old French reule, from Latin regula ('rule'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "difficult to control or discipline". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The prefix un- is negative or privative, marking the absence, denial, or opposite of the base idea. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English un- and Latin regula. Related English forms include rule. Derived forms include unruliness and unrulily. As a result, the modern word is best read as a negative, privative, or reversative formation built on a historically older base.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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unruly

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