unlicensed

adjective

un·​li·​censed ˌən-ˈlī-sᵊn(t)st 

: not licensed: such as

a

: not authorized or permitted by a license

unlicensed merchandise

an unlicensed firearm

the unlicensed reproduction of books

b

: operating without a license

unlicensed vendors

an unlicensed electrician

unlicensed brokers

unlicensed drivers

Examples of unlicensed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The unlicensed plastic surgery recovery house next door, common in Miami suburbs There’s no unique license for recovery centers, although their services — including personal care such as bathing and dressing, and helping give prescribed medication — aligns with being an assisted living facility. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025

Critics, including Hollywood unions and over 400 high-profile creators, argue that this would allow AI firms to profit from unlicensed material without compensating those who created it. —Charlie Fink, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

An initial alert came from a Texas business that flagged an unlicensed locksmith impersonating them on Google Maps. —Kara Fellows, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2025

Clinics that use unlicensed personnel for transplants are a rapidly developing global problem according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS). —Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unlicensed

• licenced
• licensed

Medical Definition

unlicensed

adjective

un·​li·​censed

variants or chiefly British unlicenced

-ˈlīs-ᵊn(t)st

: not licensed

especially, of a drug : not approved for use by the appropriate regulating authority (as the Food and Drug Administration in the United States)