unprotected

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

Updated on: 26 May 2018

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

The knights are the epitome of the warrior class, the top of the line in terms of defending the realm, defending the unprotected.

— nihal kolur, SI.com, "How Did the Vegas Golden Knights Get Their Name?," 21 May 2018
The unprotected gas tank that ruptured near the front door.

— The Courier-Journal, "Archives: 1988 reports on bus safety after the Carrollton crash," 14 May 2018
The 76ers had the right to swap picks with Sacramento has part of a 2015 trade/cash dump in which former Philly general manager Sam Hinkie took on Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson and an unprotected 2019 first-round pick.

— cleveland.com, "Beating the odds: Ten teams jumped from the eighth spot or worse in the NBA Draft lottery," 14 May 2018
The unprotected area on the Southwest Waterfront at the DC Seafood Market is expected to flood.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "Coastal flooding from nor’easter hits Old Town and Annapolis," 7 Mar. 2018
Consider when Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth stomped his cleats on the unprotected face of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode in 2006.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "A Look at the Possible Consequences of Brad Marchand's Tactic of Licking Opponents," 6 May 2018
Twitter says there is no evidence of a breach, but the error would have allowed any snoopers inside the system to scoop up unprotected passwords with ease.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Go Change Your Twitter Password," 3 May 2018
As far as the draft is concerned, the Heat doesn’t have a pick as its first-rounder is being forwarded to Phoenix as part of the 2015 Goran Dragic deal (Miami also owns the Suns an unprotected first-rounder in 2021).

— manny navarro, miamiherald, "Pat Riley shares vision of the future for the Miami Heat, Hassan Whiteside | Miami Herald," 30 Apr. 2018
Two Cambridge officers were also treated for minor injuries and unprotected exposure to bodily fluids, police said.

— john hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, "Videos show Cambridge officer striking black Harvard student," 15 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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unprotected Synonyms

Phrases

in the lurch;

UNPROTECTED Defined for English Language Learners

unprotected

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)