unattached

American  

[uhn-uh-tacht] / ˌʌn əˈtætʃt /

adjective

1. not attached.

2. not connected or associated with any particular body, group, organization, or the like; independent.

3. not engaged or married.

---

unattached British  

/ ˌʌnəˈtætʃt /

adjective

1. not connected with any specific thing, body, group, etc; independent

2. not engaged or married

3. (of property) not seized or held as security or in satisfaction of a judgment

---

Etymology

Origin of unattached

First recorded in 1490–1500; un- ¹ + attached

Explanation

Unattached things are not connected or fastened. People can also be unattached, which usually means they don't have a long-term sweetheart. If you pull apart two pieces of Velcro, they're unattached. If your tent comes unattached, or disconnected, from its pole, it may collapse. If you're a freelance reporter, you work unattached to a particular paper or magazine. When we say a person is unattached we mean they are not in a committed relationship. In the animal world, unattached means "free to swim around."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unattached

Because age, termites and water had attacked wooden beams, the house sat unattached on its foundation; it has been reaffixed, and moisture levels controlled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

Firefighters soaked hay in diesel fuel, then set fire to what remained of the unattached home that evening in a “controlled burn.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2025

“All of the fear and the anxiety and the threat lingers unattached to anything,” Makari said.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2024

Rowing, or crew, uses rowing oars that are attached to a boat using oarlocks, unlike paddles, which are unattached.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2023

I feel around the dark wall and find a switch for turning on an unattached irrigation tube.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera