Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unruly” come from?

Unruly comes from Middle English unruly, meaning disobedient or disorderly, from un- plus ruly, the opposite of unruly's modern sense.

unruly (English): Wild; uncontrolled

Definitions

  1. Wild; uncontrolled

Ancestry of “unruly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishunrulyunquiet, restless

Words derived from “unruly”

  • unruliness
  • unrulily
  • unruliment
Every word from Middle English unruly →