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
Examples of unemployed in a Sentence
the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed
Recent Examples on the Web
An early example of internet-viral fame, the then-47-year-old unemployed charity worker from rural Scotland delighted viewers and judges with her powerful, angelic voice and charm.
—
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 May 2026
However, as the job market becomes increasingly complex and competitive, what most unemployed workers need is the encouragement, direction, and advocacy to employers that Job Service counselors provided.
—Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Rivers, who is unemployed, is a member of the Green Party.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
In Land and Freedom, Ian Hart stars as David Carr, an unemployed man from Liverpool who travels to Spain in 1936 to help in the fight against Franco’s Nationalists.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unemployed
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Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 May 2026
However, as the job market becomes increasingly complex and competitive, what most unemployed workers need is the encouragement, direction, and advocacy to employers that Job Service counselors provided.
—Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Rivers, who is unemployed, is a member of the Green Party.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
In Land and Freedom, Ian Hart stars as David Carr, an unemployed man from Liverpool who travels to Spain in 1936 to help in the fight against Franco’s Nationalists.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unemployed
Cite this Entry
“Unemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployed. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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