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unfallen

unfallen

9.9
A person or thing that has not done wrong and seems pure
  • adjective
  • Literature
translation icon : inmaculado
  • The dancer in Kleist's "On the Marionette Theater" speaks of puppets as ideal revisions of the human, unfallen and innocent actors uninfected by self-consciousness.

Examples

  • The new facilities laid out beyond population centers imitated an unfallen Eden by perfecting features found in ordinary landscapes.

    Academic text (2015)
  • These unfallen, pretechnological implements, employed in unfallen work (not labor), again, in their prenatural status, parallel the matter of unfallen sexuality.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Many people believe that innocence can be preserved in an unfallen state, free from the corruption of the world.

  • In some philosophies, children are seen as unfallen beings, untouched by the moral failings of adulthood.

  • The concept of an unfallen state often represents a time when humanity was pure and morally sound.

Synonyms

innocent
vsunfallen
2.2

Not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing

focuses more on remaining pure and untouched by moral corruption
pure
vsunfallen
212 1.4

Morally good and not involved in sexual activity

expresses same moral purity specifically tied to not being corrupted by sin
blameless
vsunfallen
18 3.6

Not guilty of any wrong

highlights purity from sin rather than simply lacking blameworthiness
unblemished
vsunfallen
7 5.1

Free from any marks, damage, or bad actions

applies to inner moral purity rather than only outward appearance or record
guiltless
vsunfallen
5 4.6

Not responsible for doing anything wrong

focuses on moral purity rather than legal or causal notions of innocence
sinless
vsunfallen
4 6.3

Someone who has done nothing wrong

highlights lack of corruption rather than only absence of acts
untainted
vsunfallen
4 5.6

Not harmed by bad things, especially in reputation

points to lack of inner sinfulness rather than absence of external influence
uncorrupted
vsunfallen
2 5.6

Not made dishonest by money or power

emphasizes pure innocence rather than the absence of external corrupting influence
undefiled
vsunfallen
1 9.9

Not spoiled by dirt, harm, or bad things

focuses on moral innocence rather than absence of physical impurities or stains
unmarred
vsunfallen
1 6.8

Not damaged or harmed

applies more to inner moral purity rather than physical condition or marks
uncorrupt
vsunfallen
1 5.3

Honest and unwilling to take bribes

stresses inner purity and lack of moral wrongdoing rather than mere honesty
unstained
vsunfallen
1 5.6

Not having a damaged reputation

emphasizes pure innocence not just an untarnished public reputation
unsordid
vsunfallen
1 9.9

Honest and pure in actions and motives

emphasizes lack of moral corruption in character rather than only motive decency
impeccant
vsunfallen
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who has no moral faults

is about general purity and absence of corruption rather than naming sin
incorrupted
vsunfallen
  • Literature
9.9

Not spoiled and still pure in body or mind

highlights freedom from sin and moral wrongdoing rather than being unspoiled physically
unbesmirched
vsunfallen
  • Formal
9.1

Having a clean reputation with no scandal

stresses internal moral purity rather than only protecting public reputation

Antonyms

5.1

Dishonest and morally ruined because of wrong actions

fallen
  • Slur
9.7

A woman thought to have lost her reputation because of her sexual past

How Pure

sinless
4 6.3
innocent
2.2
unfallen
  • Literature
9.9
tainted
4.5
corrupt
291 4.4
sinful
56 3.6

Surface Forms

unfallen positive

Morphology

unfallen = fallen (transparent) = un + fall + en

The negative prefix 'un-' straightforwardly negates the moral/ethical meaning of 'fallen'.

Etymology

Unfallen is made from un- 'not' and fallen 'to fall', so it literally means 'not fallen'. A helpful way to remember the moral sense is to think of a person who has 'not fallen' into sin and so remains pure or innocent.