unsettled

1 of 2

adjective

un·​set·​tled ˌən-ˈse-tᵊld How to pronounce unsettled (audio)
Synonyms of unsettlednext
: not settled: such as
a(1)
: not calm or tranquil : disturbed
unsettled political conditions
(2)
: likely to vary widely especially in the near future : variable
unsettled weather
(3)
: not settled down
unsettled dust
b(1)
: not decided or determined : doubtful
an unsettled state of mind
(2)
: not resolved or worked out : undecided
an unsettled question
c
: characterized by irregularity
an unsettled life
d
: not inhabited or populated
unsettled land
e
: not mentally sound
f(1)
: not disposed of according to law
an unsettled estate
(2)
: not paid or discharged
unsettled debts
unsettledness
ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl(d)-nəs How to pronounce unsettled (audio)
noun

unsettled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of unsettle

Synonyms of unsettled

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unsettled in a Sentence

Adjective We have some unsettled business to attend to. we've been having a lot of unsettled weather lately
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.
Adjective
The unsettled partisan lines around this issue have allowed anger, rooted in decades of deindustrialization and public austerity, to flourish in the electorate. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 South Florida’s turbulent weather since the weekend that killed a mother and her daughter, spawned an Everglades wildfire, and mixed heat with storms looks to remain unsettled — including for Friday’s Miami Dolphins home game. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Stormy weather returns to Maryland late this week The chance of unsettled weather goes back up as the workweek comes to an end. — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 At its core, the competition remains unsettled largely because neither player has convincingly outplayed the other and won the job. — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsettled

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsettled was in 1550

Rhymes for unsettled

See All Rhymes for unsettled

Browse Nearby Words

unsettle
unsettled
unsettlement
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsettled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettled. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

unsettled

adjective
un·​set·​tled ˌən-ˈset-ᵊld How to pronounce unsettled (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not settled : not fixed (as in position or nature)
unsettled weather
2
: not calm : disturbed
unsettled waters
3
: not decided in mind : undetermined
unsettled about what to do
4
: not paid
an unsettled account
5
: not lived in by settlers
an unsettled region
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’

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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