unlicensed

adjective

un·​li·​censed ˌən-ˈlī-sᵊn(t)st 

: not licensed: such as

a

: not authorized or permitted by a license

unlicensed merchandise

an unlicensed firearm

the unlicensed reproduction of books

b

: operating without a license

unlicensed vendors

an unlicensed electrician

unlicensed brokers

unlicensed drivers

Examples of unlicensed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The June 6 shooting at an unlicensed after-hours club on Troost Avenue left nine people wounded. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2026

Crimes involving the use of firearms are prevalent in the Philippines, partly due to the proliferation of unlicensed firearms, but school shootings are relatively rare. — CBS News, 22 June 2026

Some countries have moved to ban or block certain markets entirely, and in the United States, the rapid growth of event contracts has sparked an ongoing fight between federal regulators and state authorities over whether these products are closer to financial instruments or unlicensed gambling. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 22 June 2026

Prosecutors said Feinman maintained websites that allowed unlicensed gambling businesses to take bets from customers, including customers in California. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unlicensed

• licenced
• licensed

Medical Definition

unlicensed

adjective

un·​li·​censed

variants or chiefly British unlicenced

-ˈlīs-ᵊn(t)st

: not licensed

especially, of a drug : not approved for use by the appropriate regulating authority (as the Food and Drug Administration in the United States)