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

The protests in Nepal last year revealed the extent of young people’s frustration with corruption and a lack of opportunity in the country, where around a fifth of young adults are unemployed, but where the children of the political elite seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages. —ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026

Buildings slid into decay, forcing out the elderly renters, bringing in an underclass -- criminals, dope users, the poor, unemployed Mariel refugees. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

Large shares of working-age men, especially young ones, are unemployed. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026

His mother was working two jobs and his father, a longtime alcoholic who was often unemployed, was careening toward disaster. —Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 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