unreinforced

adjective

un·​re·​in·​forced ˌən-ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯrst How to pronounce unreinforced (audio)
: not reinforced
unreinforced masonry
unreinforced brick buildings

Examples of unreinforced in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mobile homes likely sustain heavy damage, and unreinforced masonry walls can tumble. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 14 Aug. 2019 The buildings in Morocco that were destroyed in Friday night’s quake were mostly unreinforced masonry adobe or brick buildings that are very prone to collapsing when shaken. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 The vulnerable buildings are mainly made of adobe block and unreinforced brick with mud construction, USGS said. By joanna Sugden, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2023 The 1925 Santa Barbara and 1933 Long Beach earthquakes offered early warnings that unreinforced masonry buildings could become deathtraps in a major quake. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 Retrofit deadlines have already passed for unreinforced masonry buildings, or brick buildings, as well as for concrete tilt-up buildings such as warehouses — built by tilting up concrete walls that had been made on the ground and attaching them to a roof. Sandhya Kambhampati, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2023 Turkey still allowing unreinforced construction materials for use around windows and stairs—which is not allowed in the United States—likely exasperated problems. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2023 The earthquake struck where many in Turkey and Syria live in unreinforced structures that are vulnerable to shaking, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s damage assessment. Suryatapa Bhattacharya, WSJ, 7 Feb. 2023 In 1933, most of the 120 dead, including a Long Beach fireman, were killed by these falling bricks and by unreinforced masonry. Patt Morrisoncolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unreinforced.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unreinforced was in 1837

Dictionary Entries Near unreinforced

Cite this Entry

“Unreinforced.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreinforced. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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