as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force
residents of the camp for drug rehabilitation are completely unconfined—no one is there unless they want to be
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Recent Examples of unconfined
Another unconfined delegation that should be subject to judicial scrutiny is provided by the Civil Rights Restoration Act, passed by the Democrats over President Ronald Reagan’s veto, which established the government’s power to arbitrarily withhold funding from universities.
—
George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
But even with this extensive network, there still is a need for improvements to address data gaps and enhance the representation of different aquifers, both in confined and unconfined conditions.
—Claire Marks, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Aug. 2024
Destroying a pier is likely beyond the capability of an unconfined sea drone explosion.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
But the physics of an unconfined air blast that disperses its energy in all directions meant that only a small percentage of the blast’s force was focused directly on the bridge’s underside.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
Let joy be unconfined!
—Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022
An average of about 2,400 calls are received by Anchorage Animal Care and Control each year about off-leash or unconfined animals, mostly dogs, said Tamiah Liebersbach, the administration manager for the municipal health department, which works alongside the Animal Control Advisory Board.
—Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2021
Principles of biological terrestrial locomotion have been discovered on unconfined vertical and horizontal substrates.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013
George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This accounted for just 3 percent of heating fires overall, but these led to more than 40 percent of fatalities, in part because portable heaters tend to be placed precisely where people live and sleep, and because the resulting fires are far more likely to be unconfined.
—Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
But even with this extensive network, there still is a need for improvements to address data gaps and enhance the representation of different aquifers, both in confined and unconfined conditions.
—Claire Marks, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Aug. 2024
Destroying a pier is likely beyond the capability of an unconfined sea drone explosion.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
But the physics of an unconfined air blast that disperses its energy in all directions meant that only a small percentage of the blast’s force was focused directly on the bridge’s underside.
—Ben Hodges, Led Klosky, Robert Person, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2023
Let joy be unconfined!
—Vulture, 2 Nov. 2022
An average of about 2,400 calls are received by Anchorage Animal Care and Control each year about off-leash or unconfined animals, mostly dogs, said Tamiah Liebersbach, the administration manager for the municipal health department, which works alongside the Animal Control Advisory Board.
—Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2021
Principles of biological terrestrial locomotion have been discovered on unconfined vertical and horizontal substrates.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconfined
Adjective
-
Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings reaches for a loose ball against Natasha Cloud #9 of the New York Liberty during a game against the New York Liberty at College Park Center on July 28, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The top has a casual, loose fit that’ll feel comfortable to wear with shorts now and jeans later, especially if it’s paired with a cozy cardigan for added warmth once fall arrives.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Learn to burn Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a free prescribed burn certification workshop Thursday and Friday at the Hunt Family Nature Center in Springdale.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Dealers are replace the rear axle shaft assemblies in the affected vehicles for free.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet even as clients face existential troubles, the legal industry has remained strong, unbound by bull or bear markets.—
Liane Jackson,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
Back in 1835, another outsider, Alexis de Tocqueville, famously described Americans as uniquely unbound by tradition or group norms.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Israel’s Arab neighbors may welcome keeping Iran in a box but also worry about a completely unrestrained Israel, which is increasingly seen as a regional destabilizer, not a regional savior.—
Dalia Dassa Kaye,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Live, her artistry is infinitely more musical and unrestrained.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconfined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconfined. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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