Unkindness
collective noun /ʌnˈkaɪndnəs/ — A group of ravens — and the name is not an accident.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of ravens. Chosen centuries ago, presumably by someone who had seen them up close and felt uneasy.
Beyond the definition
Ravens are among the most intelligent birds alive — they remember faces, plan ahead, and hold what looks like grudges. An unkindness captures the reputation: beautiful, unsettling, smarter than you'd like.
Origin & history
From Old English uncȳndnes — unfriendliness, cruelty. Applied to ravens in medieval bestiaries, where they were associated with ill omen and dark portent. The name stuck because it fit.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
An unkindness of ravens settled on the oak, watching in silence.
She looked up to find an unkindness had gathered on the ridge — and felt the name was earned.
The word unkindness is itself a kind of warning about the birds.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Unkindness” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of ravens. Chosen centuries ago, presumably by someone who had seen them up close and felt uneasy.
Synonyms
conspiracy, flock
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
An unkindness of ravens
Ravens gathered around a puddle.
Here, “unkindness” names the whole gathering. Notice the animals together rather than looking for one individual with that name. The photograph illustrates the group; it is not evidence that this particular scene inspired the expression.
Image credit: Grendelkhan · CC BY-SA 4.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.
Questions about this word
What does "Unkindness" mean?
Unkindness is collective noun meaning: A group of ravens — and the name is not an accident.. The collective noun for a group of ravens. Chosen centuries ago, presumably by someone who had seen them up close and felt uneasy.
Where does the word "Unkindness" come from?
From Old English uncȳndnes — unfriendliness, cruelty. Applied to ravens in medieval bestiaries, where they were associated with ill omen and dark portent. The name stuck because it fit.