undocumented
Americanadjective
-
lacking documentation or authentication.
-
lacking proper immigration or working papers: undocumented immigrants.
an undocumented worker;
undocumented immigrants.
Sensitive Note
See illegal alien.
Etymology
Origin of undocumented
First recorded in 1880–85; un- 1 + documented ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does undocumented compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When something is undocumented, it's not written down or recorded. When a person is undocumented. they don't have the proper records or identification that the law requires. These days in the U.S., you're very likely to come across this word in the context of immigration. When you hear about someone who's an undocumented worker or an undocumented immigrant, it means that they were born in another country, moved to the U.S. at some point, and don't currently have the legal documentation they need to work, attend school, or otherwise live freely and openly.
Vocabulary lists containing undocumented
The Circuit
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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.
In the 1960s and into the 1970s, he wanted immigration officials to keep out undocumented workers, believing they’d be exploited as strikebreakers for growers and erode his union’s bargaining power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Tensions soared across South Africa after fringe groups campaigning against undocumented migrants set a June 30 deadline for them to leave.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
That has long been understood to mean subject to the laws of the United States, which of course the children of temporary visitors and even undocumented immigrants are.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
Reports compiled by BBC Monitoring say the army continues to carry out security sweeps across greater Khartoum, targeting alleged RSF sleeper cells, undocumented foreigners and criminals involved in illegal activities.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
I've heard people on television talking about what should happen to undocumented people, but I never thought they were talking about my mother.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
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.
