unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 

1

: lacking protection or defense

unprotected troops

skin unprotected from the sun's rays

2

: performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy

also : performed without the use of a condom to prevent spread of sexually transmitted infection

unprotected sex

Synonyms of unprotected

• vulnerable
• susceptible
• helpless

Examples of unprotected in a Sentence

They're planning to build roads over thousands of acres of unprotected land.

If your computer is unprotected, you're likely to get a virus.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those aren’t the statistics of a player who’s worth trading away an unprotected first-rounder. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 21 July 2026

However, experts say no amount of unprotected sun exposure is safe. — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 20 July 2026

When giant hailstones start falling, or howling winter winds threaten to tear solar panels from the roof, the unprotected modules can do nothing but take the beating. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026

Drowning dangers for autistic children Many autistic children tend to wander, which can lead them away from safe, supervised areas into unprotected, unsupervised settings – and potentially toward hazards like open water. — Tana Carson, The Conversation, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unprotected

• disaffected
• disconnected
• disinfected
• interjected
• intersected
• misdirected
• preselected
• recollected
• reconnected
• redirected
• reelected
• resurrected

Kids Definition

unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 

1

: lacking protection or defense

unprotected troops

skin unprotected from the sun's rays

2

: performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy

also : performed without the use of a condom to prevent the spread of a sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sex

Medical Definition

unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed -prə-ˈtek-təd 

: not protected

especially : performed without measures to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sexual intercourse