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

But the current protests have been largely peaceful with no official reports of accompanying looting of foreign-owned shops or violence against undocumented migrants.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

First, they found a 4% decline in employment of undocumented workers, which comports with employer reports that raids have prompted immigrant workers to stop showing up.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

For Mariela, an undocumented Honduran mother of three, financial stress began long ago.

From Salon • May 2, 2026

Whitesides said he supports commonsense reforms that secure the border while providing legal pathways to citizenship, especially for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 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