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 former features a deepfake rendering of Whitney Houston’s face on an actress’s body, while the latter comprises the full-body scan of an unemployed worker, part of a series predicting the range of professions that eventually will be eliminated by AI. —Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

Police say the man, a former nurse who is currently unemployed, did not report her death to authorities. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025

The unidentified man was a former nurse and is currently unemployed. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025

Another 223,000 remain unemployed. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025

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