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

An unlicensed operator driving an unregistered boat in the waters of Paradise Island struck an American riding a jet ski. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 16 June 2026

By then, OpenAI had rolled out its GPT-4o model, which the lawsuit claims was designed to keep users hooked, and enabled ChatGPT to behave like an unlicensed therapist. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 11 June 2026

That unlicensed broker on Twitter with cryptic access to SpaceX shares? —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 11 June 2026

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas this week vowed to crack down on unlicensed businesses after a weekend mass shooting injured nine people at an unregulated club on Troost Avenue. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 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)