unfinished

adjective

un·​fin·​ished ˌən-ˈfi-nisht How to pronounce unfinished (audio)
: not finished:
a
: not brought to an end or to the desired final state
b
: being in a rough state : unpolished
c
: subjected to no other processes (such as bleaching or dyeing) after coming from the loom

Examples of unfinished in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While the unfinished book served as a compass, Meffire also kept an open line of communication with Bauer throughout the shoot. Ed Meza, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper to mark his 100th birthday in 2021, Adm. de Gaulle said his father died at 79 with his life’s work unfinished. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 That’s seemingly happened to gifted entrepreneurs and technologists, from Tony Hsieh to Aaron Swartz, leaving careers devoted to innovation unfinished. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Built in 1993 and listed in mid-March, the 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom home has nearly 6,700 square feet of living space, plus a nearly 5,000-square-foot unfinished basement with multiple bay door entrances. Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 14 Mar. 2024 After an intermission, experience Bruckner's 3-movement, unfinished symphony Symphony No. 9 in D minor. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 After his death in 2014, an unfinished work — consisting of up to five drafts that the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature was working on during the last years of his life — remained in storage at his personal archive at the University of Texas. Pau Mosquera and Oscar Holland, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Bankruptcy or failure won’t cause the employees of the companies or the work done by those companies so far to vanish as much as the former employees and unfinished work will be bid for on the relative cheap by others. John Tamny, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Their 2020 film, Ballad of a White Cow, which premiered in Berlin, is still banned in Iran and the subject of an unfinished court case. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024

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

1539, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfinished was in 1539

Dictionary Entries Near unfinished

Cite this Entry

“Unfinished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfinished. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unfinished

adjective
un·​fin·​ished ˌən-ˈfin-isht How to pronounce unfinished (audio)
: not finished
especially : not brought to the desired state
unfinished furniture
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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