Unperson: meaning, definitions and examples

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unperson

 

[ สŒnหˆpษœrsษ™n ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

social term

An 'unperson' refers to an individual who has been deliberately erased from existence in the eyes of society, typically due to political or ideological reasons. This term became popularized through George Orwell's dystopian novel '1984', where the government removes all records and references to a person who has fallen out of favor. The phenomenon is often associated with totalitarian regimes that exercise extreme control over information and public perception. Unpersons may be entirely forgotten, with their existence denied, leading to significant psychological and social implications for communities and historians trying to preserve knowledge about the past.

Synonyms

erased person, forgotten individual, nonperson

Examples of usage

  • The regime turned dissenters into unpersons.
  • They became unpersons after the political purge.
  • In the book, many characters were labeled as unpersons.

Translations

Translations of the word "unperson" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น nรฃo pessoa

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค…เคตเฅเคฏเค•เฅเคค เคตเฅเคฏเค•เฅเคคเคฟ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Unperson

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ tidak ada orang

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฝะตะพัะพะฑะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ nie-osoba

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ไบบ้–“ใงใชใ„ๅญ˜ๅœจ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท non-personne

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ no persona

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท ลŸahsฤฑz

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋น„์ธ๊ฒฉ์ฒด

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุดุฎุต ุบูŠุฑ ู…ูˆุฌูˆุฏ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ne-osoba

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ neosoba

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ— ไธชไบบ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ neoseba

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ ekki einstaklingur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะฐะดะฐะผ ะตะผะตัั‚ั–ะบ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒแƒ แƒแƒ“แƒแƒ›แƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ลŸษ™xsiz

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ no persona

Etymology

The term 'unperson' is a neologism that emerged prominently in the mid-20th century, particularly associated with the themes of censorship and authoritarianism depicted in George Orwell's novel '1984', published in 1949. In the book, various characters are made to disappear from public consciousness, symbolizing the extreme lengths to which a dictatorship might go to control historical narrative. The prefix 'un-' signifies negation or removal, while 'person' denotes an individual. The combining of these elements encapsulates the concept of a person being stripped of their identity and existence in a sociopolitical context. Since its inception, 'unperson' has been used in discussions about political repression, propaganda, and the manipulative power of governments over truth and reality. The term has since transcended literary origins, finding relevance in modern discourse about social justice and the importance of remembrance in the face of oppression.