unbound

adjective

un·​bound ˌən-ˈbau̇nd 

: not bound: such as

a(1)

: not fastened

(2)

: not confined

b

: not having the leaves fastened together

an unbound book

c

: not bound together with other issues

unbound periodicals

d

: not held in chemical or physical combination

Synonyms

• loose
• free
• unconfined

Examples of unbound in a Sentence

He dresses however he likes and feels unbound by convention.

a test to determine the amount of unbound iron in the blood

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, Americans should assume the companies’ lucrative levers of surveillance and persuasion are at the disposal, if not outright service, of a vindictive president, who’s increasingly unbound by judicial and other checks on his power. —Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 July 2025

So a hyperbolic, unbound object inherently has to be moving faster. —Darryl Z. Seligman, The Conversation, 3 July 2025

The protagonist of this beguiling novel, Lina, lives with her father in a realm seemingly unbound by ordinary time. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

Today, China’s giant mining and refining companies operate without much pressure to remain commercially viable, unbound by many constraints on firms funded by private investors and lenders. —Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unbound

• abound
• aground
• around
• astound
• background
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground

Kids Definition

unbound

adjective

un·​bound ˌən-ˈbau̇nd 

1

a

: not fastened or tied up

unbound hair

b

: not kept within bounds

unbound spirit

2

: not having a binding

an unbound book