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Definition: UN |
UNNoun1. An organization of independent states to promote international peace and security. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "UN" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Satire | UN-:AMERICAN:, adj. Wicked, intolerable, heathenish. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
Census | Designation for the (United Nations). (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
United Nations headquarters in New York CityThe United Nations, or UN, is an international organization made up of states. Almost all countries are members. It was founded on October 24, 1945 in San Francisco, California, following the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in Washington, DC, but the first General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, was not held until January 10, 1946 (held in Westminster Central Hall, London). From 1919 to 1946, there existed a somewhat similar organization under the name of League of Nations, which can be considered the UN's precursor. UN membership is open to all "peace-loving states" that accept the obligations of the UN Charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to fulfill these obligations. The General Assembly determines admission upon recommendation of the Security Council. As of September 2003 there were 191 members.
Background and history
The idea for the United Nations was elaborated in declarations signed at the wartime Allied conferences in Moscow and Tehran in 1943. United States president Franklin Delano Roosevelt suggested the name "United Nations" and the first official use of the term occurred on January 1, 1942 with the Declaration by the United Nations. During World War II, the Allies used the term "United Nations" to refer to their alliance. From August to October 1944, representatives of France, the Republic of China (now on Taiwan), the United Kingdom, the United States, and the USSR met to elaborate the plans at the Dumbarton Oaks Estate in Washington, D.C Those and later talks produced proposals outlining the purposes of the organization, its membership and organs, as well as arrangements to maintain international peace and security and international economic and social cooperation. These proposals were discussed and debated by governments and private citizens worldwide.
On April 25, 1945, the United Nations Conference on International Organizations began in San Francisco. In addition to the Governments, a number of non-government organisations, including Lions Clubs International were invited to assist in the drafting of the charter. The 50 nations represented at the conference signed the Charter of the United Nations two months later on June 26. Poland, which was not represented at the conference, but for which a place among the original signatories had been reserved, added its name later, bringing the total of original signatories to 51. The UN came into existence on October 24, 1945, after the Charter had been ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council - Republic of China, France, USSR, United Kingdom, and the United States - and by a majority of the other 46 signatories.
The U.S. Senate, by a vote of 89 to 2, gave its consent to the ratification of the UN Charter on July 28, 1945. In December 1945, the Senate and the House of Representatives, by unanimous votes, requested that the UN make its headquarters in the U.S. The offer was accepted and the United Nations headquarters building was constructed in New York City in 1949 and 1950 beside the East River on land purchased by an 8.5 million dollar donation from John D. Rockefeller, Jr UN headquarters officially opened on January 9, 1951. Under special agreement with the U.S., certain diplomatic privileges and immunities have been granted, but generally the laws of New York City, New York State, and the U.S. apply.United Nations headquarters, view from East River
While the principal headquarters of the UN are in New York, there are major agencies located in Geneva in Switzerland and elsewhere.
On October 25, 1971, Resolution 2758 was passed by the General Assembly, effectively unseating the government of the Republic of China in Taipei, previously serving as the representative of China on the Security Council, and recognising the government of the People's Republic of China in Beijing as the only legitimate government of China. The Resolution declared "that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations." Multiple attempts by the Republic of China on Taiwan to re-join the UN have never passed committee. (For more on the issue of Taiwan, see China and the United Nations.)
The founders of the UN had high hopes that it would act to prevent conflicts between nations and make future wars impossible. Those hopes have obviously not been realised. From about 1947 until 1991 the division of the world into hostile camps during the Cold War made this objective impossible. Following the end of the Cold War, there were renewed calls for the UN to become the agency for achieving world peace and co-operation. In recent years, however, the rise of the United States to a position of global dominance has created renewed doubts about the role and effectiveness of the UN (See the United States and the United Nations).
Arms Control and Disarmament
The 1945 UN Charter envisaged a system of regulation that would ensure "the least diversion for armaments of the world's human and economic resources." The advent of nuclear weapons came only weeks after the signing of the Charter and provided immediate impetus to concepts of arms limitation and disarmament. In fact, the first resolution of the first meeting of the General Assembly (January 24, 1946) was entitled "The Establishment of a Commission to Deal with the Problems Raised by the Discovery of Atomic Energy" and called upon the commission to make specific proposals for "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction."
The UN has established several forums to address multilateral disarmament issues. The principal ones are the First Committee of the UN General Assembly and the UN Disarmament Commission. Items on the agenda include consideration of the possible merits of a nuclear test ban, outer-space arms control, efforts to ban chemical weapons, nuclear and conventional disarmament, nuclear-weapon-free zones, reduction of military budgets, and measures to strengthen international security.
The Conference on Disarmament is the sole forum established by the international community for the negotiation of multilateral arms control and disarmament agreements. It has 66 members representing all areas of the world, including the five major nuclear-weapon states (the People's Republic of China, France, the Russian Federation, the U.K., and the U.S.). While the conference is not formally a UN organization, it is linked to the UN through a personal representative of the Secretary-General; this representative serves as the secretary general of the conference. Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly often request the conference to consider specific disarmament matters. In turn, the conference annually reports on its activities to the General Assembly.
Human Rights
The pursuit of human rights was one of the central reasons for creating the United Nations. World War II atrocities and genocide led to a ready consensus that the new organization must work to prevent any similar tragedies in the future. An early objective was creating a legal framework for considering and acting on complaints about human rights violations.United Nations flag
The UN Charter obliges all member nations to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights" and to take "joint and separate action" to that end. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though not legally binding, was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all. The General Assembly regularly takes up human rights issues. The UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), under ECOSOC, is the primary UN body charged with promoting human rights, primarily through investigations and offers of technical assistance. As discussed, the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the official principally responsible for all UN human rights activities (see, under "The UN Family," the section on "Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights").
The United Nations and its various agencies play a central in upholding and implementing the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A case in point is support by the United Nations for countries in transition to democracy. Technical assistance in providing free and fair elections, improving judicial structures, drafting constitutions, training human rights officials, and transforming armed movements into political parties have contributed significantly to democratization worldwide.
The United Nations is also a forum in which to support the right of women to participate fully in the political, economic, and social life of their countries.
See also: United Nations Convention on the Abolition of Slavery
International Conferences
Secretary General Kofi Annan
The member countries of the UN and its specialized agencies - the "stakeholders" of the system - give guidance and make decisions on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout each year. Governing bodies made up of member states include not only the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the Security Council, but also counterpart bodies dealing with the governance of all other UN system agencies. For example, the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board oversee the work of WHO. Each year, the U.S. Department of State accredits U.S. delegations to more than 600 meetings of governing bodies.
When an issue is considered particularly important, the General Assembly may convene an international conference to focus global attention and build a consensus for consolidated action. High-level U.S. delegations use these opportunities to promote U.S. policy viewpoints and develop international agreements on future activities. Recent examples include:
- The UN Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992, led to the creation of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development to advance the conclusions reached in Agenda 21, the final text of agreements negotiated by governments at UNCED;
- The World Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo, Egypt, in September 1994, approved a program of action to address the critical challenges and interrelationships between population and sustainable development over the next 20 years;
- The World Summit on Trade Efficiency, held in October 1994 in Columbus, Ohio, cosponsored by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the city of Columbus, and private-sector business, focused on the use of modern information technology to expand international trade;
- The World Summit for Social Development, held in March 1995 in Copenhagen, Denmark, underscored national responsibility for sustainable development and secured high-level commitment to plans that invest in basic education, health care, and economic opportunity for all, including women and girls;
- The Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, China, in September 1995, sought to accelerate implementation of the historic agreements reached at the Third World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985; and
- The Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), convened in June 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey, considered the challenges of human settlement development and management in the 21st century.
Financing
The UN system is financed in two ways: assessed and voluntary contributions from member states. The regular two-year budgets of the UN and its specialized agencies are funded by assessments. In the case of the UN, the General Assembly approves the regular budget and determines the assessment for each member. This is broadly based on the relative capacity of each country to pay, as measured by national income statistics, along with other factors.
The Assembly has established the principle that the UN should not be overly dependent on any one member to finance its operations. Thus, there is a 'ceiling' rate, setting the maximum amount any member is assessed for the regular budget. In December 2000, the Assembly agreed to revise the scale of assessments to make them better reflect current global circumstances.
As part of that agreement, the regular budget ceiling was reduced from 25 to 22 percent; this is the rate at which the U.S. is assessed. The U.S. is the only member that pays this rate;(see also United States and the United Nations) all other members' assessment rates are lower. Under the scale of assessments adopted in 2000, other major contributors to the regular UN budget for 2001 are Japan (19.63%), Germany (9.82%), France (6.50%), the U.K (5.57%), Italy (5.09%), Canada (2.57%) and Spain (2.53%).
Special UN programs not included in the regular budget (such as UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, and WFP) are financed by voluntary contributions from member governments. In 2001, it is estimated that such contributions from the US will total approximately $1.5 billion. Much of this is in the form of agricultural commodities donated for afflicted populations, but the majority is financial contributions.
Communications
The six official languages of the United Nations include those of the founding nations: Chinese, English, French, Russian. In addition, two widely spoken tongues -- Arabic, Spanish -- were added later. All formal meetings are interpreted at least in these official languages. And all official documents, in print or online, are translated in all six languages.
Reforming the UN
In recent years there have been many calls for "reform" of the UN. But there is little clarity, let alone consensus, about what reform might mean in practice. Both those who want the UN to play a greater role in world affairs and those who want its role confined to humanitarian work use the language of “UN reform,” but they mean very different things. In the US, the term is frequently used to mean "make changes that will reduce the UN's power to hamper the US", while outside the US the term is usually a code for "make changes that will increase the UN's power over countries, including the US".
The most frequently mooted change to the UN structure is to change the permanent membership of the Security Council, which reflects the power structure of the world as it was in 1945. One proposed change is to admit more members: the candidates usually mentioned are India, Japan and Germany. Another is to abolish the United Kingdom and France's seats and give a seat to the European Union: but since the EU is not a state this would require a change to the UN Charter (or it would require that the EU becomes a state).
Another change frequently suggested is to remove the veto power enjoyed by the permanent members of the Security Council. It is hard to see any of the current members surrendering the veto power. The US in particular would strongly oppose this on the grounds that it would make the actions of the US subject to international approval, and would also increase the likelihood of resolutions critical of Israel being passed.
At another level, calls for reforming the UN demand to make the UN administration (usually called "the bureaucracy") more transparent, more accountable, and more efficient. In the United States, and particularly in the US Congress, this is linked to demands that the UN adopt policies which encourage the development of free market economies and cease what are seen as socialist and anti-American policies and actions.
Another frequent demand is that the UN become "more democratic." This raises fundamental questions about the nature and role of the UN. The UN is not a world government, rather a forum for the world's sovereign states to debate issues and determine collective courses of action. Since the large majority of the world's states are now democracies, the UN is in a sense an "indirect democracy" already - the majority of countries cast votes at the UN in accordance (at least in theory) with the wishes of the electorates that elected them.
For the UN to become more democratic in a direct sense, three things would presumably have to happen:
It is likely that the small countries, which make up the majority of the current members of the General Assembly, would oppose the first of these changes, while the current permanent members of the Security Council would oppose the second, and probably the third as well.
- Representation would need to be based more on population, rather than the present strict one-state-one-vote principle. An assembly where Liechtenstein has the same voting power as the People's Republic of China cannot claim to be democratic.
- The veto power of the Security Council would have to be removed.
- The UN would have to be given some power of governance over its members, just as a national government has power of governance over its citizens. In other words, it would have to become, to some degree, a world government.
United Nations System
Main article: United Nations SystemThe United Nations System has six principal organs:
For more information on the organizational structure see the main article.
- UN General Assembly
- UN Security Council
- UN Economic and Social Council
- UN Trusteeship Council
- UN Secretariat
- International Court of Justice
Related articles
- United Nations Member States
- United Nations System
- International community
- United States Ambassadors to the United Nations
- Japanese Peace Bell
- Attacks on humanitarian workers
- United States and the United Nations
- China and the United Nations
- Resolution
External links
- United Nations - Official site
- United Nations Charter - Charter text
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "United Nations."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
un | Danish | Undulatus | Geography |
UN | Dutch | Nominale grensonscherpte | Mechanical Engineering, Meteorology & Standards |
UN | English | University of Natal | N/A |
UN | French | Zone d'indécision nominale | Mechanical Engineering, Meteorology & Standards |
UN | German | Nennunschaerfebereich | Mechanical Engineering, Meteorology & Standards |
UN | Italian | Zona nominale di indecisione | Mechanical Engineering, Meteorology & Standards |
| UNAMSIL | English | UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone | Politics & International Affaires |
| UNICEF | German | Kinderhilfswerk der UN | International Organizations, Social Sciences |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonym: UNSynonym: United Nations (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Agitation | Phrase: tempete dans un verre d'eau. |
Fool | Un sot a triple etage, sot; jobbernowl, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche. |
Hope | At spes non fracta; ego spem prietio non emo; un Dieu est ma fiance; " hope! thou nurse of young desire "; in hoc signo spes mea; in hoc signo vinces; la speranza e il pan de miseri; l'esperance est le songe d'un homme eveille; " the mighty hopes that make us men"; " the sickening pang of hope deferred ". |
Inutility | Seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities; use vain efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of Sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l'eau avec un baton, donner un coup d'epee dans l'eau, fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand; bay the moon; preach to the winds, speak to the winds; whistle jigs to a milestone; kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins; lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen; (too late);seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities; use vain efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of Sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l'eau avec un baton, donner un coup d'epee dans l'eau, fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand; bay the moon; preach to the winds, speak to the winds; whistle jigs to a milestone; kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins; lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen; (too late); hold a farthing candle to the sun; cast pearls before swine; (waste); carry coals to Newcastle; (redundancy); wash a blackamoor white; (impossible). |
Philanthropy | Phrase: humani nihil a me alienum puto; omne solum forti patria; un bien fait n'est jamais perdu. |
Preparation | Preparedness, readiness, ripeness, mellowness; maturity; un impromptu fait a loisir. |
Redundancy | Superfluous, unnecessary, needless, supervacaneous, uncalled for, to spare, in excess; over and above; (remainder); de trop; (additional); supernumerary; (reserve); on one's hands, spare, duplicate, supererogatory, expletive; un peu fort. |
Unimportance | Phrase: magno conatu magnas nugas; le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle; it matters not, it does not signify; it is of no consequence, it is of no importance; elephantus non capit murem; tempete dans un verre d'eau. |
Warning | Phrase: ne reveillez pas le chat qui dort; foenum habet in cornu; caveat actor; le silence du people est la legon des rois; verbum sat sapienti; un averti en vaut deux. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: UN |
| English words defined with "UN": Iran-Iraq War ♦ Tottlish ♦ un-get-at-able, unscientifically ♦ Vingtun ♦ Yalu River. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "UN": Prendre un Rat par la Queue. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "UN": unformed. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "UN" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Catalan (one), French (a, an, any, anybody, one, some, somebody, someone), French Canadian (one), Galician (a, one), German (un), Italian (a, an, one), Manx (one, sole), Papiamen (a, an, one), Provencal (one), Romanian (a, an, one, some), Spanish (a, an, in a, one), Turkish (flour), Turkmen (flour), Welsh (any, one, only, same). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Parlons un peu de ton sourire, maintenant (Sirène du Mississippi, La; writing credit: François Truffaut) Je regrette pas d'avoir tué un homme pour toi. Je regrette pas t'aimer (Sirène du Mississippi, La; writing credit: François Truffaut) Un trou noir (Dans une galaxie près de chez vous; writing credit: Pierre-Yves Bernard; Claude Legault) Le roi n'est pas un sujet (Ridicule; writing credit: Rémi Waterhouse ; Michel Fessler) | |
Lyrics | Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh (Mack The Knife; performing artist: Bobby Darin) You can ruuuuuuuuu uh un (Escape; performing artist: Enrique Iglesias) Entreprendre un voyage (Humana; performing artist: Fabian) Partir sans un seul regret (I Will Love Again; performing artist: Lara Fabian) Era legera e come un fairy (Clementine; performing artist: Tom Lehrer) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Un nuage entre les dents (1974) Parmi tant d'autres... mais si pervers Un couple (1974) Un fait accompli (1974) Zobel - Un tema (1974) Un Torero de Jerez (1974) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
| ||
Periodicals | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | In: "Voyage au pole sud et dans l'Oceanie ....." by the French ships ASTROLABE and ZELEE under the command of Dumont D'Urville. Plate 22. L'Astrolabe faisant de l'eau sur un glacon 6 Fevrier 1838. Parages Antarctiques. Library Call Number Q115 .D9 1842. Credit: Treasures of the Library. |  | ¡El mundo es un panorama hermoso! No deje que la enfermedad diabética del ojo le impida contemplaro. Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. |
 | ¿Tiene diabetes? Existe un examen sencillo que puede salvar su vista. Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. |  | Un portrait de Duchenne de Boulogne. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
 | L'Homme...et un Traitté De La Formation Du Foetus. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | Fires a salvo from her forward eight-inch gun turrets at enemy troops closing in on Hungnam, North Korea, during the evacuation of UN forces from that port. Photograph is dated 21 December 1950. Credit: NAVY. |
 | "Returns to the Korean theater for its second tour of combat duty with UN Naval Forces". Text quoted from the original picture caption, released by Commander Naval Forces Far East under date of 13 October 1952. Note that the ship's Jack and National Ensign are flying at half-mast. Credit: NAVY. |  | Un Quatuor by William T. Dannat. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Arabs Siriens, aveugl portent un paralitique / Dumas PHt. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Le collier de fer, châtiment des fugitifs ; Nègres en commission, par un temps de pluie ; Transport de tuiles / J.B. Debret, delt. ; lith. de Thierry Frères, succ. de Engelmann & Cie. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Un fiore" by **K** Kanaglia Commentary: "Fiore in veneto." | "Back to the Future Ride at Un" by David Sinofksy Commentary: "Back to the Future Ride at Universal Studios." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Play | Caption |
 | Abiding; certain; changeless; constant; durable; enduring; equable; even; firm; fixed; immovable; never-failing; patterned; regular; reliable; safe; set; solid; stabile; steadfast; steady-going; substantial; sure; unchangeable; unchanging; unfaltering; un. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | Courez a la ville, ayez de la toile, Achetez du fil, achetez un de. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) has called upon governments to eliminate lead from gasoline worldwide. (references) | |
Chinese leaders are regular travelers to all parts of the globe, and China has sought a higher profile in the UN and other multilateral organizations. (references) | ||
They include the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN Industrial Development Program (UNIDO), and Japan’s Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF). (references) | ||
Economic History | North Korea | Li Hyong Chul--Ambassador to the UN. (references) |
Gabon | Annual growth rate (1995 UN est.): 2.4%. (references) | |
Cambodia | Elections: Elections overseen by the UN in May 1993. (references) | |
Human Rights | Yugoslavia | The law prohibits torture and other cruel forms of punishment, although the Constitutional Framework omits the UN Convention on Torture from its list of conventions incorporated by reference. (references) |
Political Economy | Honduras | Honduras is an active member of multilateral organizations, such as the UN. (references) |
Ireland | In 2000, Ireland was elected to a 2-year (2001-2) non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. (references) | |
Trade | Portugal | Dangerous products must be marked according to the instructions of the UN. (references) |
Peru | The Peruvian Customs Authority has been reformed and modernized over the last years, with help from the World Bank and the UN Development Program. (references) | |
Luxembourg | There are no foreign exchange regulations or limitations on the transfer of capital or profits in Luxembourg, except in exceptional situations such as the UN sanctions against Iraq and Libya. (references) | |
Travel | Spain | If the rate appears unreasonable, request a receipt (un recibo). (references) |
Yemen | Travel Advisory and Visas: Visas are required for U.S. citizens to travel to Yemen and can be obtained from its Embassy in Washington, DC or from its UN Mission in New York City. (references) | |
Burma | Information about entry requirements as well as other information may be obtained from the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar, 200 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone 202-332-9044/6, or the Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the UN, 10 East 77th Street, New York, NY 10021, telephone 212-535-1311. Overseas inquiries may be made at the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Burma (Myanmar). (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Rush Limbaugh | So when Jimmy Carter called and said that Kim Il Sung was a cool guy, Clinton jumped at the chance to pass more impotent UN resolutions or sign another meaningless piece of paper. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | America needs a strong and effective UN. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "UN" is generally used as a noun (proper) -- approximately 94.56% of the time. "UN" is used about 4,716 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (proper) | 94.56% | 4,459 | 2,194 |
| Unclassified Items | 2.56% | 121 | 29,211 |
| Noun (singular) | 2.2% | 104 | 31,955 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 0.57% | 27 | 66,962 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 0.11% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Total | 100.00% | 4,716 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "UN" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Un | First name Female | 1,000 | 3,407 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "UN": tempete dans un verre d'eau ♦ UN agency ♦ un averti en vaut deux ♦ un bien fait n'est jamais perdu ♦ un Dieu est ma fiance ♦ UN Drug Control Conventions ♦ un impromptu fait a loisir ♦ UN layout key ♦ un peu fort ♦ un troops ♦ vingt et un. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "UN": un-accompanied, un-acid, un-acknowledged, un-adapted, un-addressed, un-administered, un-african, un-american, un-american activities, un-americanism, un-americans, un-analysed, un-and, un-anglican, un-appointed, un-authoritarian, un-authorized, un-backed, un-based, un-becoming, un-being, un-belief, un-belief-a-boll, un-biased, un-bloody-natural, un-body, un-bolovian, un-bombed, un-bought, un-bracketed, un-british, un-brokered, un-builds, un-built-up, un-byronic, un-canny, un-carpeted, un-cash, un-catholic, Un-chamoniard, un-chartered, un-christian, un-clammish, un-cluttered, un-come-at-able, un-common, un-compromising, un-conscious, un-controlled, un-convincingly, un-cool, un-co-operative, un-coordinated, un-create, un-darkness, un-dead, un-democratic, un-dented, Un-derefield, un-dergraduate, un-detected, un-diesel-like, un-differentiated, un-divert, un-do, un-documented, un-doubters, un-dressing, un-du-lar-toos, Un-ealing, un-easy, Un-ec, un-ecclesiastical, un-edifying, un-egyptian, un-elected, un-eliminated, un-embellished, un-enforced, un-english, un-english-looking, un-englishness, Un-english-qualified, un-erase, un-excellent, un-existence, un-exotic, un-expected, un-exploited, un-familiar, un-favourite, un-feminist, un-flat, un-foppish, un-format, un-freezes, un-french, un-friend-li-ness, un-funded, un-gaullist, un-german, un-get-at-able, Un-gibson, un-godly, un-goos-ti-foe-lia, un-greek, un-grieg, un-group, un-guarded, un-harmful, un-hatched, un-heated, un-hellenic, Un-highland, un-hinted, un-historical, un-hitched, Un-hollywood, un-hong-kong-like, un-horsy, un-hung, un-hyong, Un-iaea, un-iced, un-idealists, un-idiom-like, un-imposed, un-impressed, un-inscribed, un-inspired, un-instigated, un-integrated, un-intelligenced, un-invent, un-irish, un-irishness, un-ironic, un-islamic, un-italian, un-jaded, Un-jake-like, un-jam, un-japanese, un-jetlagged, un-jewish, un-labelling, un-ladylike, un-laid-back, un-lamb, un-learning, un-led, Un-libya, un-linked, un-lonely, un-loony, un-lovely, un-made, un-makes, un-making, un-man, un-mandated, un-manned, Un-mark, un-marriage, un-measurable, un-mediated, un-met, un-missable, un-monitored, un-moralistic, un-mortal, Un-Mosaic, un-motorised, un-named, un-natural, un-naturally, un-necessary, un-neutralised, un-neutralized, un-newsworthy, un-noble, un-noise, un-noticed, un-numbered, un-nunlike, un-nutritous, un-oau-ico-arab, un-obvious, un-occupied, un-occur, un-oceanic, Un-oliver-like, un-optioned, un-organisation, un-organised, un-organized, un-paid, un-paired, un-partnered, un-patrolled, un-peaceful, un-period, un-permanence, un-persons, un-persuaded, un-platonic, un-police, un-policed, un-polybian, un-pompous, un-pop, un-popular, un-prig, un-proofed, un-protected, un-published, un-purchased, un-put-downable, un-quantified, un-rabbit-like, un-rampant, un-rationed, un-readable, un-rebuilt, un-recognised, un-recommended, un-refereed, un-reformed, un-registered, un-related, un-reliability, un-rem, un-remembered, un-reported, un-required, un-retriever-like, Un-right-on, un-rigid, un-rock, un-roman, Un-Romanized, un-romany, un-routine, un-run, un-sanctioned, un-sarcastic, un-saudi, un-scolding, un-screwed, un-selected, un-self, un-selfconscious, un-sentimental, un-shaped, un-sheikhly, un-slept, un-solicited, un-solid, un-souled, un-spilled, un-spoilt, un-sponsored, un-startling, un-style, un-supernatural, un-supervised, un-sustainable, un-taxed, un-tellenorean, Un-thatcher, un-thatcherite, un-touched, un-truths, un-turbo-charged, un-uncle, un-understood, un-uniformed, un-united, un-used, un-user-friendly, un-usuable, un-utopian, un-victorian, un-visited, un-volunteer, un-washed, un-white, un-wild, un-winglike, un-witching, un-wormed, Un-yorkshire, un-zip. | |
Ending with "UN": anti-un, black-un, good-un, homer-un, League-un, little-un, Non-un, off-comed-un, vingt-et-un. | |
Containing "UN": Eid-e-milad-un-nabi, Heter-un-thay-ra. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "UN"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | -loos (-less, un-). (various references) | |
Albanian | pa- (non-, un-), mos- (mis-, non-, un-), jo- (in-, non-, un-), antianglez (un-english), antiamerikan (un-american). (various references) | |
Arabic | الأمم المتحدة (united nations). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | с когото трудно се работи (un-co-operative), нетипичен за англичаните (un-english), нетипичен за англия (un-english), неотзивчив (deaf, impenetrable, impervious, insensate, insensible, irresponsive, un-co-operative, unhelpful, unresponsive), неамерикански (un-american), не- (mis-, non-, un-), антиамерикански (un-american), без- (ex-, un-). (various references) | |
Chinese | 联合国 (Un-). (various references) | |
Czech | Spojené Národy (united nations). (various references) | |
Danish | Rio-topmøde (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), oversvoemmelsesomraade uden diger (un-embanked alluvial land), godkende en afregning uden forbehold (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically), FNs miljøtopmøde (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), De Forenede Nationers konference om miljø og udvikling (UN Conference on Environment and Development), acceptere en regning uden forbehold (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically). (various references) | |
Dutch | on- (dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, un-). (various references) | |
Esperanto | sen- (un-). (various references) | |
Farsi | بمعنی 'لا'و'نه 'وغیرو'عدم 'و'نا'. (various references) | |
Finnish | hyväksyä lasku ehdoitta (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically), hyväksyä lasku automaattisesti (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically). (various references) | |
French | Onu. (various references) | |
German | un (nominal zone of indecision). (various references) | |
Greek | κυτταρολογική εξέταση που δεν έχει αξιολογηθεί (un-evaluable cytology), στερητικόν πρόθεμα (un-), μη - (non-, un-), αρνητικόν πρόθεμα (un-), αποθέσεις χωρίς αναχώματα (un-embanked alluvial land), αποδέχομαι λογαριασμό αυτοδίκαια (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically). (various references) | |
Hungarian | Ensz (u.n., united nations). (various references) | |
Italian | ISB (Independent Side Band(In essa si trasmettono due informa-zioni indipendenti sulle due bande laterali, utilizzando gli stessi metodi con cui si realizza la SSB.Il vantaggio della ISB consiste nella possibilità di usare un solo segnale di riferimento nel ricevitore x ricevere due informazioni.)), ammettere un conto senza riserve (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically), Conferenza delle Nazioni unite sull'ambiente e lo sviluppo (UN Conference on Environment and Development), Conferenza delle NU per l'ambiente e lo sviluppo (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), golena libera (un-embanked alluvial land), gruppo di lavoro UN-CEE sulle politiche di armonizzazione e normalizzazione tecniche (UN-ECE Working Party on Technical Harmonisation and Standardisation Policies), HTR (Hard Tissue Replacement(Sostituzione di tessuto duro(osseo)).In odontoiatria viene cosi'indicato un materiale sintetico che dovrebbe limitare la perdita dei denti nei pazienti affetti da periodontite.Un'infiltrazione di questo prodotto nella zona mascella), WOM (Word Of Mouth Nel linguaggio del marketing è quel tipo di pubblicità che inconsapevolmente fanno i consumatori quando dicono a paren-ti e amici di essere soddisfatti di un certo prodotto.), non- (non-, un-), PDP (con-sentono di ottenere i caratteri alfanumerici, disposti orizzontalmente e verticalmente nel piano del display, nel quale avviene una scarica;elettrodi, Plasma Display Panel(Caratterizzati dalla presenza di un gas(neon), selezionando opportunamente gli elettrodi da attivare).), PWP (a un prezzo scontatissimo., combinata all'acquisto di un prodotto a prezzo pieno, di solito completamente diverso, Purchase With Purchase Nel linguaggio del marketing acquisto nell'acquisto.La PWP è l'offerta, x l'acquisto di un articolo), QFIA (QFIA, Quantitative Fluorescence Image Analysis Viene cosi'chiamato un test diagnostico x l'individuazione del cancro in fase iniziale.La QFIA fa ricorso a un coloran-te fluorescente che aderisce alle molecole del DNA(che sono presenti nelle cellule cancerogene), vertice sulla Terra (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), GWP (Gift With Purchase(Acquisto con dono).E'una strategia che consiste nel fare omaggio di un prodotto a chi compera un determinato artico-lo.). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 不 (negative prefix, non). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ふ (affix, append, captive, generally, giving to, instructor, minus, music, negative, negative prefix, non, note, pawn, prisoner, refer to, score, slave, submitting to, tutor, victim, widely). (various references) | |
Korean | 은 얻 에 능력 있는 (un-get-at-able), 은 오 에 능력 있는 (un-come-at-able), 은 미국 (un-American). (various references) | |
Manx | gyn (devoid, ex, without). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | unay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | onu. (various references) | |
Russian | неанглийский (un-english). (various references) | |
Scottish | neo- (pref. implying the absence of the quality expressed by the, un-), mi- (un-). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | neengleski (un-english), neamerički (unamerican, un-american), ne- (non-, un-), ispred prideva, priloga označava odričnost (un-), ispred imenica označava suprotnost, nemanje (un-), ispred glagola označava suprotnu radnju (un-), bez- (un-). (various references) | |
Spanish | no inglés (un-english), no americano (un-american), no- (non-, un-), in- (mal-, non-, un-), dispositivo no apareado (un-paired device), des- (mal-, non-, un-), Cumbre de Río (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), Cumbre de la Tierra (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre medio ambiente y desarrollo (UN Conference on Environment and Development), Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Medio Ambiente (Conferencie on the Planet Earth, Earth Summit, Rio Summit, UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), anti- (anti-, contra-, un-), admitir una cuenta de pleno derecho (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically). (various references) | |
Swedish | oengelsk (un-english), oamerikansk (un-american), o- (dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, non-, un-), -lös (-less, un-), godkänna en räkning utan förbehåll (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically), av-markerad (unselected, un-selected), av-markera (unselect, un-select), av- (un-), acceptera en räkning utan förbehåll (to accept an account unconditionally, to accept un account automatically). (various references) | |
Turkish | Bir (a, i, mono-, one, single, some, uni-). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | неанглійський (un-english), неамериканський (un-american), не- (mal-, mis-, non-, un-), антиамериканський (un-american). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | xa lạ với phong cách Mỹ (un-american), tính xa lạ với phong cách Mỹ (un-americanism), không Mỹ (un-american), không có tính chất Anh (un-english). (various references) | |
Welsh | di- (non-, not, un-, without), dad- (back, dis-, re-, un-), an- (de-, dis-, in-, un-). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Mark Chapter 3, Verse 23 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Kai proskalesamenoV autouV en parabolaiV elegen autoiV pwV dunatai satanaV satanan ekballein |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Et convocatis eis in parabolis dicebat illis quomodo potest Satanas Satanan eicere |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | & he hyo to-gadere ge-cleopede. & onbispellen heom to cwæð. hu maig sathanassathana un adrifen (sic) |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | And he clepide hem togidir, and he seide to hem in parablis, Hou may Sathanas caste out Sathanas? |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | And he called them vnto him and sayde vnto them in similitudes. How can Satan drive out Satan? |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And turning to them, he said to them in the form of a story, How is it possible for Satan to put out Satan? |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Mark Chapter 3, Verse 23 |
| Cebuano | Ug iyang gitawag sila ngadto kaniya, ug iyang gisultihan sila pinaagig sambingay, nga nag-ingon, "Unsaon ba ni Satanas sa pagpagula kang Satanas? |
| Chinese | 耶 穌 叫 他 們 來 、 用 比 喻 對 他 們 說 、 撒 但 怎 能 趕 出 撒 但 呢 。 |
| Croatian | A on ih dozva pa im u prispodobama govoraše: "Kako može Sotona Sotonu izgoniti? |
| Danish | Og han kaldte dem til sig og sagde til dem i Lignelser: "Hvorledes kan Satan uddrive Satan? |
| Dutch | En hen tot Zich geroepen hebbende, zeide Hij tot hen in gelijkenissen: Hoe kan de satan den satan uitwerpen? |
| Finnish | Niin hän kutsui heidät luoksensa ja sanoi heille vertauksilla: "Kuinka saatana voi ajaa ulos saatanan? |
| French | Jésus les appela, et leur dit sous forme de paraboles: Comment Satan peut-il chasser Satan? |
| Gaelic | `S an deigh an gairm ri cheile, thuirt e riutha ann an dubhfhacail: Ciamar is urrainn Satan Satan a thilgeadh a mach? |
| German | Und er rief sie zusammen und sprach zu ihnen in Gleichnissen: Wie kann ein Satan den anderen austreiben? |
| Hungarian | Õ pedig magához híván azokat, példázatokban monda nékik: Sátán miként tud Sátánt kiûzni? |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Maka Yesus memanggil orang banyak itu, dan menceritakan kepada mereka beberapa perumpamaan. "Bagaimana mungkin roh jahat mengusir roh jahat," kata Yesus. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Lalu Yesus memanggil mereka itu sekalian serta berkata kepada mereka itu dengan perumpamaan, "Bagaimanakah Iblis boleh membuangkan Iblis? |
| Maori | Na ka karangatia ratou e ia, a ka korero whakarite ki a ratou, Me pehea a Hatana ka pei ai i a Hatana? |
| Norwegian | Og han kalte dem til sig og sa til dem i lignelser: Hvorledes kan Satan drive Satan ut? |
| Portuguese | Então Jesus os chamou e lhes disse por parábolas: Como pode Satanás expulsar Satanás? |
| Rumanian | Isus i -a chemat la El, wi le -a zis, kn pilde: ,,Cum poate Satana sq scoatq afarq pe Satana? |
| Shuar | Tutai Jesus winitiarum tusa niin untsukmiayi. Tura Enentáimtikrataj tusa juna Tímiayi: "¿Iwianch Satanáskesha itiur ajapmamatin~ki? |
| Swahili | Hapo Yesu akawaita, akawaambia kwa mifano,"Shetani anawezaje kumfukuza Shetani? |
| Swedish | Då kallade han dem till sig och sade till dem i liknelser: "Huru skulle Satan kunna driva ut Satan? |
| Uma | Toe pai' Yesus mpokio' -ra bona mpomohui' -i, pai' napololitai-ra hante ba hangkuja nyala lolita rapa', na'uli': "Ha beiwa-hawo seta mpopalai hingka seta-na? |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "UN": unabashed, unabashedly, unabated, unabatedly, unabbreviated, unable, unabraded, unabridged, unabsorbed, unabsorbent, unabused, unacademic, unacademically, unaccented, unacceptabilities, unacceptability, unacceptable, unacceptably, unaccepted, unacclimated, unacclimatized, unaccommodated, unaccommodating, unaccompanied, unaccountabilities, unaccountability, unaccountable, unaccountably, unaccounted, unaccredited, unacculturated, unaccustomed, unaccustomedly, unachieved, unacknowledged, unacquainted, unactable, unacted, unactorish, unadaptable, unadapted, unaddressed, unadjudicated, unadjusted, unadmired, unadmitted, unadoptable, unadorned, unadult, unadulterated, unadulteratedly. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "UN": adnoun, antigun, begun, blowgun, bosun, bun, dun, faun, finespun, flashgun, forerun, fun, gaun, gun, handgun, homespun, honeybun, hun, jun, korun, leprechaun, maun, mesclun, millrun, misbegun, mun, noun, nun, outgun, outrun, overrun, popgun, pressrun, pronoun, pun, rebegun, rerun, run, scattergun, shogun, shotgun, shun, speargun, spun, stun, sun, swoun, tabun, tuchun, tun, underrun. (additional references) | |
Words containing "UN": abound, abounded, abounding, abounds, aboveground, abundance, abundances, abundant, abundantly, account, accountabilities, accountability, accountable, accountableness, accountablenesses, accountably, accountancies, accountancy, accountant, accountants, accountantship, accountantships, accounted, accounting, accountings, accounts, acupuncture, acupunctures, acupuncturist, acupuncturists, adjunct, adjunction, adjunctions, adjunctive, adjunctly, adjuncts, adnouns, adunc, aduncate, aduncous, aground, airbound, aliunde, alunite, alunites, ammunition, ammunitions, amount, amounted, amounting, amounts. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "UN" (pronounced u"n or yuw"e"n) |
| 2 | u" n | begun, bun, Bunn, bunt, done, Donne, dun, fun, gun, Hun, Jun, mun, none, nun, one, outdone, outrun, overdone, pun, redone, rerun, run, shun, son, spun, stun, sun, ton, tonne, undone, won. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: nu. | |
| Words containing the letters "n-u" | |
+1 letter: bun, dun, fun, gnu, gun, hun, jun, mun, nub, nun, nus, nut, pun, run, sun, tun, uns, urn. | |
+2 letters: anus, aunt, bund, bung, bunk, bunn, buns, bunt, burn, curn, dune, dung, dunk, duns, dunt, durn, faun, fund, funk, funs, gaun, genu, gnus, guan, gunk, guns, hung, hunh, hunk, huns, hunt, junk, knur, kuna, kune, luna, lune, lung, lunk, lunt, luny, maun, menu, muni, muns, muon, neuk, neum, noun, nous, nubs, nude, nuke, null, numb, nuns, nurd, nurl, nuts, onus, puna, pung, punk, puns, punt, puny, quin, ruin, rune, rung, runs, runt, shun, snub, snug, spun, stun, sung, sunk, sunn, suns, tuna, tune, tung, tuns, turn, ulan, ulna, unai, unau, unbe, unci, unco, unde, undo, undy, unit, unto, upon, urns, yuan. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Sounds 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Spoken | 13. Quotations: Speeches 14. Usage Frequency 15. Names: Frequency 16. Expressions | 17. Expressions: Internet 18. Translations: Modern 19. Bible Trace 20. Abbreviations | 21. Acronyms 22. Derivations 23. Rhymes 24. Anagrams | 25. Bibliography |
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