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.
Striking in these two apparently unrelated episodes is one word in particular — accuracy — and important lessons museums and historians can learn to combat these attacks on the integrity of historical research.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
During an unrelated press conference Monday, the mayor said that his administration would follow local laws in making any determination about the legal authority to arrest Netanyahu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The agency said it was also investigating other unrelated outbreaks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
In other words, the detector may be able to select the desired events while rejecting many unrelated signals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
She was coping with medical appointments and surgeries and at the same time trying to care for her mother, who was also fighting an aggressive cancer that was, the doctors insisted, completely unrelated to Suzanne’s.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
