unswear
Very Rare / ArchaicLiterary, Archaic, Formal Legal (Historical)
Definition
Meaning
to retract or take back (a previous oath or sworn statement).
To formally revoke a vow, promise, or statement made under oath; to unsay something sworn.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Historically used in legal and solemn contexts. Implies a formal, conscious act of revocation. Not used in modern everyday English.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No contemporary difference; the term is equally obsolete in both varieties.
Connotations
Archaising, literary, or deliberately historical.
Frequency
Effectively zero frequency in modern corpora for both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
transitive: unswear + [oath/promise]reflexive (archaic): unswear oneselfVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None in contemporary use”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in historical or philological texts discussing older English.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Not used in modern legal contexts; historical legal texts only.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The knight was compelled to unswear his earlier oath of fealty.
- Having sworn in haste, he sought to unswear his vow.
American English
- The witness attempted to unswear his previous testimony.
- You cannot simply unswear a solemn pledge.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The character in the old play had to unswear a promise made in anger.
- Medieval charters sometimes contained clauses allowing a signatory to unswear an obligation under specific, dire circumstances.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: to UN-SWEAR is to undo the act of swearing, like untying a knot.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPEECH IS A BOND (to unswear is to break that bond).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'не клясться' (to not swear). 'Unswear' means to actively revoke a past oath, not to abstain from swearing.
- Not a direct equivalent of 'отрекаться' (to renounce faith/ideals) which is broader.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a synonym for 'lie' or 'perjure'. It's about retraction, not falsehood.
- Using it in active, modern contexts where 'take back' or 'retract' is appropriate.
Practice
Quiz
In which context might you encounter the verb 'unswear'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic and is almost never used in modern spoken or written English outside of historical or literary contexts.
'Forswear' primarily means to swear falsely (perjure) or to renounce something under oath. 'Unswear' specifically means to retract or take back a sworn statement.
No. Modern legal language uses terms like 'retract', 'recant', 'withdraw', or 'revoke'. Using 'unswear' would be unusual and archaic.
No standard noun form like 'unswearing' exists in modern dictionaries, though it could be coined for literary effect based on the verb.