unemployed
adjective
un·em·ployed
ˌən-im-ˈplȯid 
: not employed:
a
: not being used
unemployed machines
b
: not engaged in a gainful occupation
an unemployed teacher seeking work
15% of the workforce was unemployed.
c
: not invested
unemployed capital
unemployed
noun
Examples of unemployed in a Sentence
the plant closings left a significant portion of the town's population unemployed
Recent Examples on the Web
About 22,000 fewer Californians were unemployed during this period, a decrease from 5.4 percent to 5.3 percent.
—
Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Transgender adults in the United States are also more likely than cisgender adults to be uninsured, to have incomes below $50,000 per year and to be unemployed, the survey found — disparities that researchers have linked to systematic discrimination and transphobia.
—Orion Rummler, Them, 8 Jan. 2025
That preference lowers the cost of child support, which is particularly important for an unemployed person or one working at a low-wage job.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Michigan is currently one of a dozen states offering unemployed workers fewer than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unemployed 
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.
Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Transgender adults in the United States are also more likely than cisgender adults to be uninsured, to have incomes below $50,000 per year and to be unemployed, the survey found — disparities that researchers have linked to systematic discrimination and transphobia.
—Orion Rummler, Them, 8 Jan. 2025
That preference lowers the cost of child support, which is particularly important for an unemployed person or one working at a low-wage job.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Michigan is currently one of a dozen states offering unemployed workers fewer than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unemployed
Dictionary Entries Near unemployed
Cite this Entry
“Unemployed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unemployed. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unemployed
adjective
un·em·ployed
ˌən-im-ˈplȯid
1
: not being used
unemployed tools
2
: not employed : having no job
unemployed workers
unemployed
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share