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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
stru, struct (make, build)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
stru, struct (make, build)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
And that would be vital for a robot moving around an unstructured environment like the average home.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
I had gone from a high-intensity profession, a full family and social life and various volunteer commitments—all frenetically coordinated through my smartphone—to the unstructured rhythms of prison.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
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
Out of this has come a rich and curious, if unsupervised and unstructured, education.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
