unskilled

adjective

un·​skilled ˌən-ˈskild How to pronounce unskilled (audio)
1
: not skilled in a branch of work : lacking technical training
an unskilled worker
2
: not requiring skill
unskilled jobs
3
: marked by lack of skill
produced unskilled poems

Examples of unskilled in a Sentence

an unskilled handling of the facial features in the portrait explains why it is attributed to “school of Velázquez” and not to the master himself hired unskilled workers because they would work for lower wages
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, average wages for unskilled and semi-skilled workers in India range from about 9,000 Indian rupees to 15,000 Indian rupees a month ($108.04 — $180.06), according to central bank estimates. Reuters, NBC News, 29 Nov. 2023 Thirty-seven percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged) and 18 percent have openings for unskilled labor (unchanged). James Freeman, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2023 That means nearly 80% of unskilled students were fairly good at estimating their real ability – a far cry from the idea put forth by Dunning and Kruger that the unskilled consistently overestimate their skills. Eric C. Gaze, Fortune, 8 May 2023 This last period is marked by fearless behavior, the entry into the market of unskilled day traders and, ominously, the likelihood of a coming crash. Alex Traub, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023 In the hands of an unskilled tailor, a beloved dress can fail to match the bride’s vision, or be ruined altogether. Shannon Sims, New York Times, 27 July 2023 The vast majority are unskilled, unemployed, menial work type people. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 July 2023 Flynn also became a champion for unskilled immigrant laborers, joining the more-militant Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union. Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 In its early days, its cars were engineering marvels, but they were designed so they could be built by the relatively unskilled laborers working for Ettore Bugatti. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 21 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unskilled.' 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

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unskilled was in 1559

Dictionary Entries Near unskilled

Cite this Entry

“Unskilled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unskilled. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

unskilled

adjective
un·​skilled ˌən-ˈskild How to pronounce unskilled (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not skilled
especially : not skilled in a branch of work : lacking mechanical training
an unskilled worker
2
: not requiring skill
unskilled jobs
3
: marked by lack of skill
an unskilled painting

More from Merriam-Webster on unskilled

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