: not paired : such as
a
: not matched or mated
unpaired socks
Brooks Brothers now offers the "Wardrobe" option, which includes unpaired jackets and pants in matching materials, so that a man can shop for a suit the same way a woman does.—
Mary Lisa Gavenas
Mary Lisa Gavenas
b
: being an electron that does not share its orbital with another electron
… free radicals, molecules with unpaired electrons that are eager to pair up.—Marla Vacek Broadfoot
Marla Vacek BroadfootExamples of unpaired in a Sentence
Adjective
found an unpaired shoe in the back of the closet
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Hydrogen peroxide forms as a byproduct when energetic particles break apart water molecules, leading to the recombination of OH radicals — highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 23 July 2025
And the more unpaired spins a molecule has, the more complicated the interactions among them.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2025
Each man then rejects all but his more preferred suitor, resulting in a tentative match for some contestants, while others remain unpaired.
—Max Springer, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unpaired
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Adjective
However, when unpaired with satisfaction, these beliefs can lead to serious doubts about the relationship in its entirety.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Hydrogen peroxide forms as a byproduct when energetic particles break apart water molecules, leading to the recombination of OH radicals — highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 23 July 2025
And the more unpaired spins a molecule has, the more complicated the interactions among them.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2025
Each man then rejects all but his more preferred suitor, resulting in a tentative match for some contestants, while others remain unpaired.
—Max Springer, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unpaired
Cite this Entry
“Unpaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpaired. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unpaired
adjective
un·paired
ˌən-ˈpa(ə)rd 
-ˈpe(ə)rd,
ˈən-
: not paired
especially
: not matched or mated
an unpaired shoe
Medical Definition
unpaired
adjective
un·paired
ˌən-ˈpa(ə)rd, -ˈpe(ə)rd
1
a
: not paired
especially
: not matched or mated
b
: characterized by the absence of pairing
electrons in the unpaired state
2
: situated in the median plane of the body
an unpaired anatomical part
also
: not matched by a corresponding part on the opposite side
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