unemployed

adjective

un·​em·​ployed ˌən-im-ˈplȯid 

: not employed:

a

: not being used

unemployed machines

b

: not engaged in a gainful occupation

an unemployed teacher seeking work

15% of the workforce was unemployed.

c

: not invested

unemployed capital

unemployed noun

Synonyms of unemployed

• out of work
• jobless

Examples of unemployed in a Sentence

the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed

Recent Examples on the Web

During a hearing in May, India's Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant compared the country's unemployed young adults to roaches while referring to criticism of judges on social media. — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026

Between August 2024 and this past June, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France reported that 457 factories ceased operations, leaving roughly 240,000 workers unemployed. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

Frustrated, unemployed Americans marched on Washington for the first time ever, demanding a jobs bill. — Jim Shelton, Fortune, 17 July 2026

More than half of the roughly 24 million long-term unemployed are aged 16 to 24. — Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unemployed

• the unemployed

Rhymes for unemployed

• albuminoid
• arytenoid
• cannabinoid
• carotenoid
• epidermoid
• epithelioid
• meteoroid
• paraboloid
• subarachnoid
• underemployed
• adenoid
• alkaloid

Kids Definition

unemployed

adjective

un·​em·​ployed ˌən-im-ˈplȯid 

1

: not being used

unemployed tools

2

: not employed : having no job

unemployed workers

unemployed noun