unsecured

adjective

un·​se·​cured ˌən-si-ˈkyu̇rd 

-ˈkyərd

: not protected or free from danger or risk of loss : not secured

unsecured cargo

unsecured funds

an unsecured loan

Synonyms

• insecure
• lax
• loose
• loosened
• relaxed
• slack
• slackened

Examples of unsecured in a Sentence

an unsecured luggage rack on top of the car that was a hazard to other vehicles on the road

Recent Examples on the Web

Left unsecured, these can become dangerous projectiles capable of shattering windows or damaging vehicles or other property during high winds. —Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025

The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by Israel’s military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Yunis, where armed gangs are active and trucks were stopped. —Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025

The possibility that data could be inadvertently exposed in a misconfigured or otherwise unsecured database is a longtime privacy nightmare that has been difficult to fully address. —Matt Burgess, Wired News, 22 May 2025

Federal and private student loans are unsecured, so lenders can’t seize your assets to recover losses. —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsecured

• allured
• assured
• contoured
• endured
• ensured
• insured
• inured
• manured
• matured
• obscured
• procured
• secured

Legal Definition

unsecured

adjective

un·​se·​cured

ˌən-si-ˈkyu̇rd

: not secured: as

a

: not guaranteed or protected as to payment, performance, or satisfaction by a security interest or by property given or pledged as security

unsecured debt

an unsecured claim

b

: characterized by a lack of security or of a security interest

unsecured status