Not written down on paper or in text; often refers to rules or laws that are understood and followed but not officially recorded.
From 'un-' (not) plus 'written' (past participle of write). The concept of 'unwritten rules' and 'unwritten law' became important in discussing social customs and traditions.
Some of the most important rules aren't written: we all know you shouldn't stare at strangers or interrupt people, but nobody needs a law book for this. Unwritten rules are often more powerful than written ones because we internalize them as 'just how things are done.'
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