unmanned

[uhn-mand]

adjective

1. without the physical presence of a person or people on board; uncrewed.

   an unmanned spacecraft.

2. Falconry.,  (of a captured hawk) untrained for hunting with a master; unmade.

unmanned

/ ʌnˈmænd /

adjective

1. lacking personnel or crew

   an unmanned ship

2. (of aircraft, spacecraft, etc) operated by automatic or remote control

3. uninhabited

4. falconry (of a hawk or falcon) not yet trained to accept humans

Word History and Origins

Origin of unmanned¹

First recorded in 1535–45; un- ¹ ( def. ) + manned ( def. )

Example Sentences

The Hollywood Burbank Airport’s air traffic control tower is temporarily unmanned and flights are delayed Monday afternoon due to staffing shortages amid the ongoing government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.

From Los Angeles Times

Zelensky called for international rules around AI and its role in weaponry, and said the development of autonomous drones and unmanned planes represented a far greater risk than traditional warfare.

From BBC

In military parlance, M means multi-use and Q indicates it’s an unmanned aerial vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times

Residents reported the Israeli military dispatched what they called “booby-trapped robots” — armored personnel carriers filled with explosives repurposed as unmanned drones — into city neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times

Drones and unmanned systems on the battlefield are a major innovation in this war, for instance.

From BBC