unpowered

adjective

un·​pow·​ered ˌən-ˈpau̇(-ə)rd How to pronounce unpowered (audio)
: not powered (as by an engine)
unpowered flight
an unpowered descent
Motorized reel mowers are expensive … . Simpler and better is the unpowered model, lighter by many pounds than the cast-iron prewar machine.Eleanor Perenyi

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The passengers will need to return to their seats after a few minutes as the craft reorients and begins to interact with the increasing density of the atmosphere and then glides to an unpowered landing. John Antczak, orlandosentinel.com, 5 Aug. 2020 In mid-November the world watched spellbound as Philae fell for seven hours in an unpowered descent to the tumbling comet. The Editors, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2014 The passengers will need to return to their seats after a few minutes as the craft reorients and begins to interact with the increasing density of the atmosphere and then glides to an unpowered landing. John Antczak, orlandosentinel.com, 5 Aug. 2020 The passengers will need to return to their seats after a few minutes as the craft reorients and begins to interact with the increasing density of the atmosphere and then glides to an unpowered landing. John Antczak, Star Tribune, 28 July 2020 The initial autogiro required a horse or a working group of several people to wrap a rope around the rotor, generating a spin and unpowered lift. Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2023 The first unpowered flight in Alaska took place 23 years earlier. David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Aug. 2022 While the reusable booster heads back to landing on a nearby pad, the crew capsule continues upward on an unpowered, ballistic trajectory, reaching a maximum altitude of just above 65 miles three-and-a-half minutes after takeoff. William Harwood, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2022 Ballistic missiles, by comparison, fly a largely unpowered parabolic trajectory—like that of a fly ball coming off a baseball bat—after being propelled by an initial rocket boost. Jason Sherman, Scientific American, 2 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unpowered.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpowered was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near unpowered

Cite this Entry

“Unpowered.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpowered. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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