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 pickup truck driver in a crash that killed two cyclists in Pilot Point last December was unlicensed and speeding, according to a Texas Department of Transportation report. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026

In Spain, the rental platform was fined $75 million in December for unlicensed tourist rentals, as pushback sees short-term rentals as driving up housing costs. —Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

This is going to carry a big financial impact, especially on the people who end up in a collision with an at-fault driver who is unlicensed due to the new dictate. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2026

At the time, authorities said a Chinese medical company registered in Nevada was operating the unlicensed facility in Reedley, California, a small city southeast of Fresno, California. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Feb. 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)