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

Unintended access permissions or unprotected endpoints. —Alexander Britkin, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

But there’s nothing to stop Miami from going to Charlotte and offering a 2032 unprotected first-rounder, plus cash, a second-rounder, a player (Jaime Jaquez Jr.?) and even a pick swap in exchange for giving Miami back its 2027 first-rounder. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025

This is a bad idea, leaving the HOA and by extension the rest of the homeowners unprotected if a homeowner’s liability insurance coverage ceases, since the HOA would not otherwise be notified of the problem. —Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2025

Left unprotected, the print and 45 other works were possibly tossed in the trash. —Jade Walker, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unprotected

• disaffected
• disconnected
• disinfected
• interjected
• intersected
• misdirected
• preselected
• recollected
• reconnected
• redirected
• reelected
• resurrected

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