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Synonyms

unsupervised

British  
/ ʌnˈsuːpəˌvaɪzd, ʌnˈsjuː- /

adjective

  1. without supervision

    playing unsupervised in the garden

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Explanation

When kids play in the backyard without an adult watching over them, they are playing unsupervised, meaning they are not being directly monitored by anyone. To be unsupervised means to do something without any oversight or supervision. For example, if students are left in a classroom without a teacher present, they are unsupervised. This can apply to various situations, from children playing to employees working without a manager's presence. While being unsupervised can offer freedom and independence, it also requires a level of responsibility and trust to ensure everything goes smoothly.

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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.

He added that, once the older Hardware 3 car owners get the promised upgrades, they too will be able “to enter the Robotaxi fleet and have unsupervised FSD.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

During the conference call, Musk said he hopes to have unsupervised FSD operating "in a dozen or so states by the end of this year."

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Bravery, now 24, who is autistic, was in supported accommodation at the time of the attack but had been allowed out unsupervised.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

It offers a limited mix of unsupervised and supervised rideshare services in Austin, Texas, and rides in California’s San Francisco Bay Area supervised by a safety monitor.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

By that time they were more confident about us; sometimes they left us unsupervised in the classroom and even the cafeteria for minutes at a time.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood