1
: not married
an unwed mother
unwed couples
2
: of or relating to unmarried persons
an unwed pregnancy
Examples of unwed in a Sentence
most of the employees at that small company are unwed
Recent Examples on the Web
In the novel, four teenage girls are sent to Wellwood House, a home for unwed mothers, in 1970, with the mandate to give birth, send the children away for adoption and pretend like nothing actually happened.
—
William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
In a viral clip, an unwed teenager is forced to apologize to her church congregation for her pregnancy, causing online debate.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 8 Jan. 2025
To uphold traditional values and avoid unwed pregnancies, parents might arrange marriages for daughters as young as twelve or thirteen, in customary ceremonies that didn’t carry legal force.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
Watson plays Sister Mary, whose convent is concealing a Magdalene Laundry, businesses run jointly by the Church and the Irish state where unwed mothers were consigned to repent of their sins, do hard labor and ultimately deliver their babies for adoption.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unwed 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
In a viral clip, an unwed teenager is forced to apologize to her church congregation for her pregnancy, causing online debate.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 8 Jan. 2025
To uphold traditional values and avoid unwed pregnancies, parents might arrange marriages for daughters as young as twelve or thirteen, in customary ceremonies that didn’t carry legal force.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
Watson plays Sister Mary, whose convent is concealing a Magdalene Laundry, businesses run jointly by the Church and the Irish state where unwed mothers were consigned to repent of their sins, do hard labor and ultimately deliver their babies for adoption.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unwed
Dictionary Entries Near unwed
Cite this Entry
“Unwed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwed. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share