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Glite Dictionary
unbegotten

unbegotten

9.9
Existing without being born or made by something
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌn.bɪˈɡɒt.ən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : no engendrado
  • Many theologians debate whether the essence of God is unbegotten, emphasizing His eternal existence.

Examples

  • Germinius's response was forthright: he acknowledged that he was indeed teaching that the Son was like the Father in all things (except according to "unbegotten-ness").

    Academic text (2007)

  • The concept of the unbegotten nature of the Father is central to many theological discussions.

  • The totality of who God is, for Bonaventure, is grounded in the nature of the Father as unbegotten self-communicative goodness.

    Academic text (2007)

  • It is imperative to follow the correct order when speaking of the one substance: "He will be safe in asserting the one substance if he has first said that the Father is unbegotten, that the Son is born, that he draws his subsistence from the Father, and that he is like the Father in power, honor, and nature."

    Academic text (2007)

  • In many philosophical texts, God is often described as unbegotten, highlighting His existence without a creator.

Synonyms

uncreated
vsunbegotten
  • Formal
1 9.3

Existing without a beginning or cause

is about existing without being born or produced by another
unbegun
vsunbegotten
  • Archaic
9.9

Having no start and lasting forever

emphasizes origin by lacking birth or generation rather than just having no start

Antonyms

begotten
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Born as a child of particular parents

Surface Forms

unbegotten positive

Morphology

unbegotten = begotten (semi-transparent) = un + beget + en

The negating prefix 'un-' combines productively with 'begotten', but 'begotten' (from 'beget') is somewhat archaic and irregular, so the meaning may be clear in context but not fully obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Unbegotten starts with un- meaning 'not' and comes from the verb beget, which means 'to produce' or 'to father'. So unbegotten means 'not produced or born', something that exists without an origin.