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

In a letter to California’s health secretary, the California Hospital Association estimated that 760 unlicensed staffers would lose their jobs as nurses take on their responsibilities. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 29 June 2026

Lucas said in a news release that the city needs to crack down on unlicensed businesses skirting city regulations that are too often connected to violence. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026

Illinois classifies Kalshi and other prediction markets as unlicensed sports wagering operators offering the same bets as sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel, but without paying taxes or adhering to reporting standards. — Maggie Dougherty, CBS News, 26 June 2026

Most major global economies have decided to split 6 GHz between unlicensed Wi-Fi access on the lower 500-MHz portion of the band (spanning from 5,925 to 6,425 MHz) and licensed cellular use on the larger 700-MHz upper portion. — Stephen Cousins, IEEE Spectrum, 25 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)