unmarried

adjective

un·​mar·​ried ˌən-ˈmer-ēd How to pronounce unmarried (audio)
-ˈma-rēd
Synonyms of unmarriednext
: not married:
a
: not now or previously married
b
: being divorced or widowed
unmarried noun

Examples of unmarried in a Sentence

an unmarried couple who are living together a girl who swore she'd remain unmarried for her whole life
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While married couples at least have access to certain legal and financial structures—tax benefits, dual income, social security protections—unmarried people have to get creative to achieve the same stability. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025 Today, rural children are less likely than urban children to live with married parents and are more likely to live with cohabiting unmarried parents or in the care of grandparents or other relatives. Tim Slack, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025 For an individual applicant or corporate sponsor looking to sponsor a spouse or unmarried children under the age of 21, they'd be required to pay an additional $15,000 DHS processing fee and $1 million gift per person, according to the site, which accepts the fees online. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025 Today, rural children are less likely than urban children to live with married parents and are more likely to live with cohabiting unmarried parents or in the care of grandparents or other relatives. Shannon M. Monnat, The Conversation, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unmarried

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unmarried was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unmarried.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unmarried. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

unmarried

adjective
un·​mar·​ried ˌən-ˈmar-ēd How to pronounce unmarried (audio)
: not married:
a
: not now or previously married
b
: being divorced or widowed

More from Merriam-Webster on unmarried

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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