unchartered

American  

[uhn-chahr-terd] / ʌnˈtʃɑr tərd /

adjective

1. without a charter.

2. without regulation; lawless.

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unchartered British  

/ ʌnˈtʃɑːtəd /

adjective

1. not authorized by charter; unregulated

2. unauthorized, lawless, or irregular

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Usage

What’s the difference between unchartered and uncharted? Unchartered means not having (or not done under) a charter or some other kind of official authorization, as in an unchartered flight. It’s sometimes used to mean unauthorized or lawless, as in unchartered activity. Uncharted means unexplored or unmapped, as in uncharted territory or uncharted waters. The chart in uncharted refers to a map, but charted is not commonly used as an adjective—most people would say mapped. In contrast, both unchartered and chartered (meaning having a charter or officially authorized) are used. The two words are often used in much different contexts, but there are some cases where both could apply. For example, a remote parcel of land may be both uncharted (unmapped) and unchartered (not bound by any official charters or laws). Here’s an example of unchartered and uncharted used correctly in a sentence. Example: The movie is an adventure about a group of teens who take a secret, unchartered flight to explore an uncharted island. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between unchartered and uncharted.

Etymology

Origin of unchartered

First recorded in 1795–1805; un- ¹ + charter + -ed ²

Example Sentences

In a letter to European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen seen by AFP Friday, De Wever pushed back strongly on the initiative and urged against venturing "into unchartered legal and financial waters".

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

This is "unchartered territory", one source in the peers' camp told me.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2025

For the Lakers, it’s unchartered territory in James’ tenure with the team, the Lakers entering the playoffs with Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena for the first time since the 2012 playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2025

But a national coalition government of some sort is a real possibility as a result of the ANC’s declining support and would be unchartered waters for South Africa.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

He walked at a fast clip, feeling quite excited because this was, after all, an excursion into the unchartered and unfamiliar.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el