unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 

1

: lacking protection or defense

unprotected troops

skin unprotected from the sun's rays

2

: performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy

also : performed without the use of a condom to prevent spread of sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sex

Synonyms

• defenseless
• exposed
• helpless
• susceptible
• undefended
• unguarded
• unresistant
• vulnerable

Examples of unprotected in a Sentence

They're planning to build roads over thousands of acres of unprotected land.

If your computer is unprotected, you're likely to get a virus.

Recent Examples on the Web

The new advice is to test anyone with a significant bird flu exposure, such as an unprotected worker who’s been splashed in the face with raw milk on a dairy farm with known H5N1 infections in the herds. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

Since teams aren't permitted to trade draft picks more than seven years in the future, the Bucks can only offer their fully unprotected 2031 first-round pick and their 2031 second-round pick in trades this season. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Frost and freeze conditions overnight Wednesday — including temperatures as low as 22 degrees — could kill unprotected vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing, forecasters said in the alert. —Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2024

Spending Tory spending plans implied £19 billion of real-terms cuts in 2028-29 for unprotected departments like justice and transport. —Samuel Burke, Fortune Europe, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 

1

: lacking protection or defense

unprotected troops

skin unprotected from the sun's rays

2

: performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy

also : performed without the use of a condom to prevent the spread of a sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sex

Medical Definition

unprotected

adjective

un·​pro·​tect·​ed -prə-ˈtek-təd 

: not protected

especially : performed without measures to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease

unprotected sexual intercourse