unlicensed
Americanadjective
-
having no license.
-
done or undertaken without license or permission; unauthorized.
-
unrestrained; unbridled.
adjective
-
having no licence
an unlicensed restaurant
-
without permission; unauthorized
-
unrestrained or lawless
Etymology
Origin of unlicensed
First recorded in 1600–10; un- 1 + license ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
When something is unlicensed, it has no license, i.e., no official government approval. If a restaurant doesn't have a liquor license but serves wine anyway, it's an unlicensed sale of that beverage. You will hear the word unlicensed most often involving illegally-possessed firearms. Murders are often committed with unlicensed guns, meaning that the killer purchased the gun without a license, most likely from a shady dealer.
Vocabulary lists containing unlicensed
100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Upon review, investigators found that the men they met with were unlicensed and had no pending applications with the state board.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
Han Lin, a cross-border finance specialist at The Asia Group consultancy, said Beijing's move was driven by "concerns over capital outflows, regulatory sovereignty, and unlicensed offshore securities activity".
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Greece’s regulator didn’t approve Binance’s application before a July 1 deadline that requires unlicensed crypto firms to wind down their local businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
According to KPAI, there are around 3,000 daycare centres around Indonesia, many of which are unlicensed, such as Little Aresha.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
City officials asked a state court to ban the car pool, claiming it was an unlicensed transportation system.
From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
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.
