unattended

American  

[uhn-uh-ten-did] / ˌʌn əˈtɛn dɪd /

adjective

1. without attendance; lacking an audience, spectators, etc..

   The decision was made out of the public eye, in an unattended meeting.

2. not accompanied; not associated with, as a concomitant effect or result.

   a flash of lightning unattended by thunder.

3. not cared for or ministered to.

   unattended patients;

   an unattended injury.

4. 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.

5. not accompanied, as by an attendant or companion; alone.

   The queen was unattended.

6. unheeded; not listened to; disregarded.

   A number of unattended warning signals preceded the explosion.

7. not tended to; not done or carried out, as a task (usually followed byto ).

   He left his studies unattended to.

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unattended British  

/ ˌʌnəˈtɛndɪd /

adjective

1. not looked after or cared for

2. unaccompanied or alone

3. not listened to

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Etymology

Origin of unattended

First recorded in 1595–1605; un- ¹ + attend + -ed ²

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.

Example Sentences

Unattended shopping carts are strewn haphazardly around the perimeter of the display, creating a sort of Thunderdome-esque enclosure.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2019

The phrase "Unattended baggage will be removed and may be destroyed," will be familiar to everyone who has ever boarded an aeroplane.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2015

Unattended ground sensors allow critical areas to be monitored continually.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.

Unattended, Mr. Wix made his way to room one and pounded on the door.

From Young Wallingford by Chester, George Randolph

Unattended even by a body guard, and confiding in the love of his subjects, James I. of Scotland was residing within the walls of the Carthusian monastery at Scone.

From Home Pastimes; or Tableaux Vivants by Head, James H.

Related Words

• neglected