unsheltered

American  

[uhn-shel-terd] / ʌnˈʃɛl tərd /

adjective

1. not protected or shielded, as from storms or missiles, by a wall, roof, barrier, dense vegetative cover, or the like: The beach is unsheltered from northern winds and gets big waves in late summer.

   Eastside residents now face a steep climb uphill to an unsheltered bus stop if they want to use public transportation.

   The beach is unsheltered from northern winds and gets big waves in late summer.

2. being without a house or lacking permanent housing; houseless; homeless.

   Veterans experiencing homelessness were more likely to be classified as unsheltered—living in cars, public parks, or under highway overpasses.

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Sensitive Note

See homeless ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of unsheltered

First recorded in 1590–1600; un- ¹ ( def. ) + sheltered ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unsheltered

The city’s unsheltered homeless population increased this year after two straight years of decreases, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported last month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

One lesson of the pandemic was that hotels and motels mobilized to house the unsheltered were successful in bringing people indoors who were otherwise reluctant to stay in congregate shelters or withstand involuntary hospitalizations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

“The shift away from tent-dwelling towards rough sleeping will impede strategies to resolve unsheltered homelessness,” the new report said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Department of Housing and Urban Development, it includes people living in shelters and unsheltered settings but not formerly homeless people living in supportive housing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026

I yell, for we are lying unsheltered in the open field.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque