unattended
Americanadjective
-
without attendance; lacking an audience, spectators, etc..
The decision was made out of the public eye, in an unattended meeting.
-
not accompanied; not associated with, as a concomitant effect or result.
a flash of lightning unattended by thunder.
-
not cared for or ministered to.
unattended patients;
an unattended injury.
-
not taken in charge; not watched over.
Many forest fires start from unattended campfires.
Careful, or your unattended baggage may be picked up by airport security.
-
not accompanied, as by an attendant or companion; alone.
The queen was unattended.
-
unheeded; not listened to; disregarded.
A number of unattended warning signals preceded the explosion.
-
not tended to; not done or carried out, as a task (usually followed byto ).
He left his studies unattended to.
adjective
-
not looked after or cared for
-
unaccompanied or alone
-
not listened to
Etymology
Origin of unattended
Explanation
Anything unattended is not being looked after or noticed. It's not safe for unattended children to wander too close to a busy street. There are some places, like a parking lot, where it's fine to leave an unattended car. Other places, like curbside at the airport, unattended vehicles aren't allowed — there must be a person with the car at all times. When something is attended, it's being watched or paid attention. Add the prefix un- ("not"), and you get unattended.
Vocabulary lists containing unattended
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 2
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The Distance Between Us
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 4
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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.
Electrical equipment, unattended camp fires, cigarette butts and arson have rapidly increased the interval of fire.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
The courthouse has strict rules for everyone, such as a ban on taking any photos inside and leaving items unattended.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
Ed Cullen, from Taunton in Somerset, said when his mum died, she arranged an unattended cremation because she thought it was cheaper - leaving him and his family without the chance to say goodbye.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
The trucking company said that he never should have left his load unattended.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
He was happy to find a tray of fresh croissants that had been left unattended near a delivery door.
From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick
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.
