unbought
1
7.2
- adjective
- /ʌnˈbɔt/
- Archaic
- For example, the ancient oath of the "unbought" witness from the Anglo-Saxon courts is (in modernized speech):
Examples
-
Her principles are unbought; she stands by her beliefs without any outside influence.
-
So the unbought efficiency resource keeps getting ever bigger and cheaper.
-
After all, the ice cream cannot be uneaten, the shoes cannot be unbought, and the sex that was not can not be had.
Blog text (19) -
Her motto is, "Unbought and unbossed."
Blog text (24) -
In the name of Almighty God, as I stand here for Name in true witness, unbidden and unbought, so I oversaw with my eyes.
Academic text (1991) -
Government is the very negation of charity, for charity is uniquely an unbought gift, a freely flowing, uncoerced act by the giver.
Blog text (16) -
The artist's work is refreshing and unbought, valuing creativity over commercial success.
-
They remained unbought in their dedication to the cause, refusing to be swayed by money.
Synonyms
1
4.8
Free from cheating or secret changes so it is fair
1
9.9
Does not want money for the help you give
How Corruptible
Surface Forms
Morphology
unbought = bought (transparent) = un + bought
Standard negation 'un-' applied to 'bought', so learners who know 'buy/bought' can infer the meaning.
Etymology
The word unbought starts with un- meaning 'not' and ends with bought, the past form of buy, so it literally means 'not bought'. That's why we use unbought for things left in a shop and for people or opinions that are not paid for or controlled by money or gifts.