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

Working together for the first time, Noé, who comes from a rural background, is skeptical that Lúa, an unemployed actress from the city, is the right person for the job. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

At 21-Across, the [American architect who invented Scrabble while unemployed during the Great Depression] is ALFRED BUTTS. — New York Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Like many American men, Nathaniel Hawthorne spent his twenties unemployed and living with his mother. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Simmons, now unemployed, was allowed to post a $150,000 bond to be co-signed by her mother by Friday. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 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