undocumented

American  

[uhn-dok-yuh-men-tid] / ʌnˈdɒk yəˌmɛn tɪd /

adjective

1. lacking documentation or authentication.

2. lacking proper immigration or working papers: undocumented immigrants.

   an undocumented worker;

   undocumented immigrants.

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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:

• undocumented vs. illegal

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.

Example Sentences

“My parents crossed the border undocumented in the late 1970s, so I think I’ve always been fascinated with writing immigration stories,” Quijada said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

On the eve of the vote, frontrunner Keiko Fujimori told AFP she would "restore order" in her first 100 days by sending the army into prisons, deporting undocumented migrants and strengthening borders.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Gaby Pacheco, president of TheDream.US, an organisation that provides scholarships to undocumented immigrants, told the BBC that the case should serve as a "wake-up call."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

According to officials, 37 undocumented immigrants were detained, most of them originally from Venezuela.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

My dad tried to find a job, but there was no work for an undocumented refugee in Rwanda.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana