unstructured
Americanadjective
adjective
-
without formal structure or systematic organization
-
without a preformed shape; (esp of clothes) loose; untailored
Etymology
Origin of unstructured
First recorded in 1940–45; un- 1 + structured
Explanation
Unstructured is an adjective describing something that lacks structure or form. Some things should never be left unstructured, like a schedule for building a house or a timeline for retirement. A popular phrase that's currently associated with this adjective is unstructured time, which is another way of saying "there's nothing on the schedule." Unstructured time might encourage daydreaming, creativity, or stress management, but for extremely organized people who like to follow schedules and have everything in order, unstructured anything can make them feel lazy or crazy.
Vocabulary lists containing unstructured
Articles on Dangers of Technology
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Deven: The Seventh Star
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stru, struct (make, build)
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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.
As Dan Kois illustrates in this ode to kicking back with friends, spending unstructured time together is a blessedly simple cure to the ills of modern life.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
Yet what about companies that aren’t industrial, that deal with the “open, unstructured world,” as Linzey puts it, and can be far more challenging for machines?
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
These scenes are where the film does its best work, conveying the necessity of unstructured play with ease alongside the movie’s funniest jokes.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
Robots and autonomous systems powered by large language models and agentic reasoning add the dimension that pure software agents cannot: operating in an unstructured, unpredictable, physical world, they note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Now there was no play, and the pool was not available, unstructured time oppressed them.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
