unsettled

adjective

un·​set·​tled ˌən-ˈse-tᵊld 

: 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 

noun

Synonyms

• volatile
• unpredictable
• unstable
• changeful

Examples of unsettled in a Sentence

We have some unsettled business to attend to.

we've been having a lot of unsettled weather lately

Recent Examples on the Web

Japan continues to protest Beijing's operation of some 20 structures in the East China Sea, where the two countries had agreed to jointly develop resources in areas where boundaries remain unsettled. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

The line was one of the more questionable position groups heading into the season opener, with an unsettled lineup for most of fall camp. —Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025

Patrick Modiano’s grand theme is memory in unsettled times, with the characters in his novels caught between a mysterious past and a discordant present. —Ruth Margalit, The New York Review of Books, 4 Sep. 2025

But as the war enters a new phase, with Israeli troops pushing into Gaza City, the central question of the war’s endgame remains unsettled. —Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsettled

• resettled
• metalled
• nettled
• settled

Kids Definition

unsettled

adjective

un·​set·​tled ˌən-ˈset-ᵊld 

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