adjective
-
not being or never having been made use of
-
not accustomed or used (to something)
Etymology
Origin of unused
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at un- 1, used
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.
Nearly 2,000 of Portland’s subsidized units sat vacant and unused at last count, as The Oregonian and Willamette Week have reported.
From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026
Under either scenario, including a resignation, he’d be entitled to receive compensation for unused vacation days.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026
Europe braced Wednesday for another day of an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed records in many countries and sent air conditioner sales zooming in a continent unused and ill-equipped to handle searing heat.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Desire, who had won won the Champions League with PSG five days earlier, was an unused substitute.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
Sometimes she would stand and look at the hunting lantern and possum sack where they hung, unused, against the cabin wall....
From "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong
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.
