unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 

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 infection

unprotected sex

Synonyms of unprotected

• vulnerable
• susceptible
• helpless

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 on the Web

The wooden fence of the unprotected home caught fire within a few minutes, then the exterior of the home was on fire within 6 minutes and finally, the interior of the home caught on fire within 9 minutes. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026

Some doctors — faced with parental pressure, misinformation or uncertainty about vaccine schedules — may customize recommendations in ways that leave children unprotected. —A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026

With the deal, the conditional first-round selection the Sharks received from the Oilers last March, as part of a trade that sent defenseman Jake Walman to Edmonton, now becomes an unprotected pick. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026

The personal cost of having children unprotected against the world’s most contagious virus is impossible to measure. —Erika Edwards, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unprotected

• disaffected
• disconnected
• disinfected
• interjected
• intersected
• misdirected
• preselected
• recollected
• reconnected
• redirected
• reelected
• resurrected

Kids Definition

unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 

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 the spread of a sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sex

Medical Definition

unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed -prə-ˈtek-təd 

: not protected

especially : performed without measures to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sexual intercourse