Unbound
/ʌnˈbaʊnd/noun
Not tied, fastened, or restrained; also free from limits or control.
Did you know?In older English, the idea behind *bound* could mean not just “tied,” but also “obliged” or “fated,” so *unbound* carries a deep sense of being released from constraint in body, duty, and destiny.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰendʰ-
“to bind, fasten”
Old English
OE
bindan
“to bind, tie up”
Old Norse
ON
binda
“to bind”
Middle English
ME
bounden / bounde
“bound, tied, obligated”
Late Middle English
ME
unbounden
“not bound, not tied; released from obligation”
Modern English
English
unbound
“not bound or restrained; free”