unsettled

adjective

un·​set·​tled ˌən-ˈse-tᵊld 

: not settled: such as

a(1)

: not calm or tranquil : disturbed

unsettled political conditions

(2)

: likely to vary widely especially in the near future : variable

unsettled weather

(3)

: not settled down

unsettled dust

b(1)

: not decided or determined : doubtful

an unsettled state of mind

(2)

: not resolved or worked out : undecided

an unsettled question

c

: characterized by irregularity

an unsettled life

d

: not inhabited or populated

unsettled land

e

: not mentally sound

f(1)

: not disposed of according to law

an unsettled estate

(2)

: not paid or discharged

unsettled debts

unsettledness

ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl(d)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of unsettled

• volatile
• unpredictable
• unstable
• changeful

Examples of unsettled in a Sentence

We have some unsettled business to attend to.

we've been having a lot of unsettled weather lately

Recent Examples on the Web

Spotty showers expected through Easter morning The unsettled weather is expected to ease around midday, offering a break for afternoon plans, before a chance of additional showers returns later in the evening. —Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026

Aurora activity could begin increasing tonight, Thursday, April 2, as geomagnetic conditions become unsettled to minor storm levels. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026

Ian Littleworth’s Happy, the dissolute son always looking for an easy way out, seems unsettled not only in his bearings but in his command of the script. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Americans sought a faster, more direct path across the vast, dangerous, and still largely unsettled terrain, which at the time meant basically anything west of the Missouri River. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsettled

• resettled
• metalled
• nettled
• settled

Kids Definition

unsettled

adjective

un·​set·​tled ˌən-ˈset-ᵊld 

ˈən-

1

: not settled : not fixed (as in position or nature)

unsettled weather

2

: not calm : disturbed

unsettled waters

3

: not decided in mind : undetermined

unsettled about what to do

4

: not paid

an unsettled account

5

: not lived in by settlers

an unsettled region