adjective
-
not connected with any specific thing, body, group, etc; independent
-
not engaged or married
-
(of property) not seized or held as security or in satisfaction of a judgment
Etymology
Origin of unattached
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nvidia is also planning to unveil new computing solutions that involve multiple CPUs that are unattached to GPUs, the way Meta plans to, the Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
The real opportunity lies in attracting and retaining the next generation of top earners – young people who are unattached to place and looking for opportunities to build their careers and their lives.
From Salon • Dec. 5, 2025
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
It is unattached from the White House's other national security priorities and would strip the same amount from the budget of the Internal Revenue Service, the agency in charge of collecting federal taxes.
From BBC • Oct. 31, 2023
How did an unattached white woman occupy herself in South Carolina?
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
