unattended

adjective

un·​at·​tend·​ed ˌən-ə-ˈten-dəd How to pronounce unattended (audio)
: not attended : not watched or looked after : lacking a guard, escort, caretaker, etc.
an unattended parking lot
a fire left unattended
unattended children
unattended luggage

Examples of unattended in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The only pets that should be left unattended are those kept in a kennel with a covered top. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Hundreds of gift cards hang on unattended kiosks near the customer-service counter, where people queue to return broken toasters or exchange pajamas. Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 17 Jan. 2024 Those guidelines generally say officers should never leave spit hoods on for more than several minutes at a time, and never leave the person unattended. Daphne Duret, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 But Frank’s twin alcohol and drug addictions, as well as his scandalous affair with an underage girl, depleted the funds and the house fell into disrepair, as all institutions do when left unattended. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023 Meadow Oaks of Roseville (Roseville) June 2018 Claude Rogers, 83, was left unattended on facility patio for two hours. Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023 Leaving a handgun visible inside an unattended motor vehicle would be prohibited under a bill that passed the Senate on a party-line vote of 21-19. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Park rules prohibit dogs on trails or off leash anywhere, and require that they never be left unattended. Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 Seen in a video that moves through the abandoned and disarrayed hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in northern Gaza were several babies whose unattended bodies lay on separate hospital beds. Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unattended.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unattended was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near unattended

Cite this Entry

“Unattended.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unattended. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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