unmarried

adjective

ˌən-ˈmer-ēd How to pronounce unmarried (audio)
Definition of unmarriednext
as in single
not married a girl who swore she'd remain unmarried for her whole life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unmarried The unmarried former nurse handled situations that the city government believed needed a woman's delicate touch. — CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 Married respondents went from roughly +30 to +50; unmarried respondents went from near breakeven to about -15. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 The comedic yet heartfelt film tells the story of Colman’s Fisherwoman, who is made fun of in her village for being an unmarried woman. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 What if, God forbid, a fascist government decreed that unmarried people could have sex on just one night of the year? — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unmarried
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmarried
  1. single
  2. unwed
Adjective
  • Jeremiah Johnson, vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, said asylum rates appear to be one factor, but the dismissals cannot be attributed to a single reason.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That represented Newcastle’s highest gate of the Premier League era — and also the most fans who had attended a single game inside St James’ Park in more than half a century.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of single
Adjective
  • During the 1950s, the Catholic Church in Belgium separated thousands of newborns from their unwed mothers and put them up for adoption, often without the mothers' consent.
    — Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 12 July 2026
  • Britain’s mea culpa follows apologies from Scotland, Wales, the Church of England and other nations, as countries confront postwar policies that separated unwed mothers and infants.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of unwed

Browse Nearby Words

unmarred
unmarried
unmasculine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unmarried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmarried. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All