Definition of groundless

The word "groundless" has its roots in Old English and Middle English. In Old English, the word "grund" or "grundes" referred to the foundation, basis, or underlying cause of something. This sense of foundation was later combined with the negative prefix "un-" to create the word "ungrown", meaning without a foundation or basis. During the Middle English period (circa 1100-1500), the prefix "un-" was replaced with "ground-", which comes from the Old English word "grund". This resulted in the formation of the word "groundless", which originally meant lacking a basis or foundation. Over time, the word's meaning expanded to include the sense of lacking evidence or proof, as in "the rumor was groundless". Today, the word "groundless" is commonly used to describe an accusation, claim, or theory that has no basis in fact or evidence.