as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
critics faulted the novel for having a painfully unoriginal plot
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Recent Examples of unoriginal
So far, what AI produces in the way of literature is purely derivative and thus noticeably unoriginal.
—
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 28 May 2025
The Bond films became nihilistic, and the post-Snyder DC films are notable only for being poor, unoriginal corporate gestures — counterfeit versions of Snyder’s resonant mythologizing.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
Kyle Fraser People are going to think this is an unoriginal answer.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
People hated generics so much that the name itself became a mild insult, synonymous with anything unoriginal or uninspired.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unoriginal
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 28 May 2025
The Bond films became nihilistic, and the post-Snyder DC films are notable only for being poor, unoriginal corporate gestures — counterfeit versions of Snyder’s resonant mythologizing.
—Armond White, National Review, 23 May 2025
Kyle Fraser People are going to think this is an unoriginal answer.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
People hated generics so much that the name itself became a mild insult, synonymous with anything unoriginal or uninspired.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unoriginal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unoriginal
Adjective
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Nautilus is bold in its changes to Captain Nemo’s story — new monsters, new villains — but imitative to other genre series in execution, and the vibe is a little didactic.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
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The word was likely imitative of the deep humming sound male bees make.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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His films, often kitschy and formulaic, nonetheless became part of the cultural fabric for a generation who saw Hulk Hogan not just as a wrestling icon, but as a bona fide movie star.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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Like most great underdog stories, Rudy is sentimental and a bit formulaic.—
Sophie van Bastelaer,
EW.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unoriginal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unoriginal. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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