unbanked
noun
: people who do not have money deposited in a bank
the growing numbers of unbanked
—usually used with theNever mind the practicality of cheques or ATM machines, let alone the luxury of credit cards or airline miles: the unbanked have no checking, savings or mobile money provider accounts, no access to financial products like insurance, loans or mortgages, no protection for their money from theft or loss.—
Luca Ventura
Luca VenturaAs online transactions become ubiquitous, life has become more challenging for those who rely on cash: the unbanked, those who don't or can't access banking and financial services, and the underbanked, those who don't make full use of such services.—Jackie Benton
Jackie BentonExamples of unbanked in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
About 60% of the unbanked are cash-only users, which opens them up to theft or loss each day.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
The tiny Central American country has long used the dollar as currency, but Bukele promised bitcoin would provide new opportunities for El Salvador’s unbanked and cut out money transfer services from the remittances Salvadorans abroad send home.
—Marcos Alemán, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The ranks of the unbanked are also falling as the population gets older, and becomes generally more educated — older folks and those with more education are more likely to be banked.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The unbanked are more vulnerable to predatory lending practices and their cash is more at risk, financial experts say.
—Genna Contino, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unbanked
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Medora Lee, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
The tiny Central American country has long used the dollar as currency, but Bukele promised bitcoin would provide new opportunities for El Salvador’s unbanked and cut out money transfer services from the remittances Salvadorans abroad send home.
—Marcos Alemán, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The ranks of the unbanked are also falling as the population gets older, and becomes generally more educated — older folks and those with more education are more likely to be banked.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The unbanked are more vulnerable to predatory lending practices and their cash is more at risk, financial experts say.
—Genna Contino, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unbanked
Cite this Entry
“Unbanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unbanked. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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