unmet

American  

[uhn-met] / ʌnˈmɛt /

adjective

1. not responded to adequately; not satisfied or fulfilled, as a need, expectation, challenge, etc..

   Migrant health centers could address an important unmet need for health services among farmworkers and their families.

2. (of a minimum amount) not reached.

   If the production line is disrupted, the result will be everything from defective products to unmet quotas.

3. not personally or physically encountered.

   This is an essay on my longtime, unmet friend, the mystic Thomas Merton.

4. (of a traveler) not greeted or picked up on arrival.

   Outside the terminal, pushy taxi drivers were vying to get the few unmet passengers into decrepit taxis.

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Etymology

Origin of unmet

First recorded before 1100; un- ¹ ( def. ) + met ( def. )

Example Sentences

High investor expectations for Tesla’s “physical AI” applications, like robo-taxis and robots, are unmet by slow 2026 progress.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Construction of these properties is so far undeterred by those higher costs because of still unmet demand from hyperscalers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

A decade after a new constitution promised a fresh start, many young people say those hopes remain unmet.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

The four principals’ unmet personal and professional needs play out in unpredictable, funny and warm — as well as shattering — ways.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Tonight’s visit to Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In would go down with nothing but unmet expectations.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith