unencumbered
Americanadjective
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not impeded, slowed down, or retarded; free to move, advance, or go forward.
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having few or no burdens or obligations.
-
not burdened or weighed down, as with bulky or heavy objects.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unencumbered
Explanation
When you're unencumbered, you're free of baggage: either you literally don't have a lot of stuff to carry, or you're emotionally care-free. This word has two closely related uses. A person is unencumbered when they're traveling light — they're not struggling to carry 5 suitcases. But if you have no worries or responsibilities, you're also unencumbered — nothing is weighing on your mind. In both senses being unencumbered means you feel light: either literally or emotionally.
Vocabulary lists containing unencumbered
The Things They Carried
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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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.
At the second they were able to remove it and send him on his way again with the wheel unencumbered, the steering issues he was suffering before that eradicated.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The youngster said he started heading for shore with just his life jacket but later abandoned it to swim unencumbered.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
“Global unencumbered copper inventories are now draining into oblivion,” says Ghali.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
If Daisy is with me, I love to not take my phone because I like to be unencumbered and to not think about it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026
It was terribly convenient for the Elders’ unencumbered rule.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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.
