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Showing results for unstructured. Search instead for nanostructured.
Synonyms

unstructured

American  
[uhn-struhk-cherd] / ʌnˈstrʌk tʃərd /

adjective

  1. lacking a clearly defined structure or organization.

    an unstructured conference; an unstructured school environment.
unstructured British  
/ ʌnˈstrʌktʃəd /

adjective

  1. without formal structure or systematic organization

  2. without a preformed shape; (esp of clothes) loose; untailored

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of unstructured

First recorded in 1940–45; un- 1 + structured

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because condensates behave like liquids that can fuse, flow, and quickly exchange components, scientists long believed they were simple, unstructured droplets.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

The high-intensity, unstructured nature of the game suited France's fleet-footed backline, but it was an Irish defensive lapse that led to the home side's second try.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

They’re able to take unstructured data or data that sits in Word documents and PDFs and emails, and then combine it with what they were doing before.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

“Retirees have more unstructured hours and more opportunities to say yes — lunch with a friend, an extra coffee, a spontaneous weekend visit with the grandkids,” Grzegorczyk said.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

Now there was no play, and the pool was not available, unstructured time oppressed them.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.