unprotected

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adjective un·pro·tect·ed \ ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd \

Definition of unprotected

1 :lacking protection or defense

unprotected troops

skin unprotected from the sun's rays

2 :performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy; also :performed without the use of a condom to prevent spread of sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sex

See unprotected defined for English-language learners

See unprotected defined for kids

Examples of unprotected in a Sentence

They're planning to build roads over thousands of acres of unprotected land.
If your computer is unprotected, you're likely to get a virus.

Recent Examples of unprotected from the Web

This time, of course, the move wouldn’t just be one less executive action on the books, but would also mean close to 800,000 Dreamers completely unprotected.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "If Trump Plans to Expose Dreamers to Deportation, He Should Explain the Decision to Houston’s Young Immigrants," 29 Aug. 2017
More than 150 cities along the Ohio River – then unprotected by levees or floodwalls – were inundated, driving hundreds of thousands from their homes and contributing to 500 deaths.

— andrew wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "There's hope for Houston in the story of Louisville's Great Flood of 1937," 28 Aug. 2017
The Cavaliers will get point guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic and what appears to be the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round pick.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Hey, Kyrie Irving, be careful what you wish for," 22 Aug. 2017
He was acquired by Atlanta United in the expansion draft in December after being left unprotected by Dallas.

— atlanta united fc, ajc, "Atlanta United put Loyd on season-ending injury list," 8 Aug. 2017
Agents stand unprotected on these highways and roads.

— kate morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Teacher who protested Border Patrol hopes viral reaction brings understanding," 27 July 2017
The alternatives to DRM through the browser are not, in practice, the distribution of unprotected content; rather, companies such as Netflix will instead turn to either proprietary apps or proprietary browser plugins.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "Over many objections, W3C approves DRM for HTML5," 10 July 2017
Impala’s structure held up during the test, but the dummy’s head was partially unprotected.

— diana kruzman, USA TODAY, "Three big cars get top IIHS crash rating -- not Tesla," 6 July 2017
Opportunist hackers are amateurs and professionals who spend hours a day running random scams on the Internet looking for unprotected home computers.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: No rest from cybercriminals," 5 July 2017

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

First Known Use of unprotected

1597

unprotected Synonyms

Synonyms

defenseless, exposed, susceptible, undefended, unguarded, helpless, unresistant, vulnerable

Antonyms

guarded, invulnerable, protected, resistant, shielded

Related Words

indefensible, untenable; uncovered, unsafe; overcome, preyed (on or upon); disarmed, passive, resistless, unarmed; feeble, frail, weak; abandoned, high and dry, marooned

Near Antonyms

defensible; covered, fortified, safe, screened, secure, sheltered; armed, armored; immune, impenetrable, impregnable, invincible, strong, unassailable, unbeatable, unconquerable; almighty, omnipotent

UNPROTECTED Defined for English Language Learners

unprotected

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adjective

Definition of unprotected for English Language Learners

: not guarded or kept from something that can cause harm or damage
of sexual activity : done without using anything (such as a condom) that can prevent unwanted pregnancy or the spread of disease (such as AIDS)

Medical Dictionary

unprotected

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adjective un·pro·tect·ed \ -prə-ˈtek-təd \

medical Definition of unprotected

:not protected; especially :performed without measures to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sexual intercourse

Learn More about unprotected

See words that rhyme with unprotected Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unprotected Spanish Central: Translation of unprotected Nglish: Translation of unprotected for Spanish speakers

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Examples of unprotected in a Sentence

Recent Examples of unprotected from the Web

First Known Use of unprotected

unprotected Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

UNPROTECTED Defined for English Language Learners

unprotected

Definition of unprotected for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

unprotected

medical Definition of unprotected

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