unemployed

adjective

un·​em·​ployed ˌən-im-ˈplȯid How to pronounce unemployed (audio)
Synonyms of unemployednext
: not employed:
a
: not being used
unemployed machines
b
: not engaged in a gainful occupation
an unemployed teacher seeking work
15% of the workforce was unemployed.
c
: not invested
unemployed capital
unemployed noun

Synonyms of unemployed

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unemployed in a Sentence

the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The film starred Carlyle, Mark Addy, Lesley Sharp, Hugo Speer, Paul Barber, Steve Huison, Wim Snape and Tom Wilkinson as six unemployed steelworkers in England who form a male striptease act to earn some quick cash. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 However, Patterson and Pinion, the punter who struggled in the preseason, are still competing against other unemployed kickers and punters. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 Emmanuel Woldegebriel, who is currently unemployed, was one of the first people through the door. — Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 29 Aug. 2026 In mid-May, India’s chief justice made some comments comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites. — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unemployed

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unemployed was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing unemployed

Rhymes for unemployed

See All Rhymes for unemployed

Browse Nearby Words

unemployable
unemployed
unemployment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployed. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

unemployed

adjective
un·​em·​ployed ˌən-im-ˈplȯid How to pronounce unemployed (audio)
1
: not being used
unemployed tools
2
: not employed : having no job
unemployed workers
unemployed noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All