Chinese word

史无前例

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǐ wú qián lì

Meaning

  • idiomunprecedented

Example

这次的事故在公司历史上是史无前例的。zhè cì de shì gù zài gōng sī lì shǐ shàng shì shǐ wú qián lì de

This accident is unprecedented in the company's history.

Illustration for 史无前例 (unprecedented)

More examples

面对史无前例的疫情，全球医疗系统承受了巨大压力。miàn duì shǐ wú qián lì de yì qíng quán qiú yī liáo xì tǒng chéng shòu le jù dà yā lì

Facing an unprecedented epidemic, the global health care system came under enormous pressure.

Core concept

A blank space in the record where no earlier event provides a matching example.

Common phrases

  • 史无前例的影响shǐ wú qián lì de yíng xiǎng

    unprecedented impact

  • 史无前例的规模shǐ wú qián lì de guī mó

    unprecedented scale

  • 史无前例的危机shǐ wú qián lì de wēi jī

    unprecedented crisis

Similar words

前所未有qián suǒ wèi yǒu: Describes an event or situation that has never happened before.
前无古人qián wú gǔ rén: Describes a person or achievement with no earlier equal in history.

Definition in Chinese

没有任何先例，从来未发生过的事或情形。méi yǒu rèn hé xiān lì cóng lái wèi fā shēng guò de shì huò qíng xíng

Word origin

史 (shǐ, "history") + 无 (wú, "without") + 前 (qián, "before") + 例 (lì, "example") combine to show that history contains no earlier example of the event.

Usage tips

  • This idiom is common in reports and formal speech, but it can sound heavy when the event is ordinary or minor.

Other meanings

  • unparalleledidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word