unrelated
Britishadjective
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not connected or associated
an unrelated incident
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not connected by kinship or marriage
Explanation
Unrelated is a good way to describe things that aren't connected or linked in any way. You might insist that your dented car bumper is unrelated to your neighbor's smashed mailbox. Things that have no connection are unrelated: your excellent test grade is unrelated to the shoes your wore on the day you took it, and your inability remember the name of the movie you just watched is unrelated to the fact that the sun is shining. You can also describe two people who aren't in the same family as unrelated. The Latin root is relatus, a past participle of referre, "bring back."
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.
The FDP software is designed to link up otherwise-incompatible databases, fixing an issue that has hampered the NHS, where unrelated IT systems are used in different locations, such as a patient's GP, clinic and hospital.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Marvell had also been weighed down by some traditional businesses unrelated to AI.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Importantly, these patterns have appeared repeatedly across unrelated languages in different parts of the world.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
Indeed, any stated purposes appear unrelated to the Civil Rights Act’s aims of combating racial discrimination.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
And we were all aware that the forces that held back our bodies back at home were not unrelated to those that had given France its wealth.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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.
