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.
Many turn to Instagram and TikTok for inspiration, only for recipe screenshots to go buried and unused in their phones’ camera rolls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Yet each electron also carries quantum information that normally goes unused.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
But South Africa ensured that innovation went unused.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
And in 2017, he repurposed his mostly unused Los Angeles painting studio and launched a residency program for artists called Appointment Only, where he also hosted a series of art shows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Before I scrambled down, unused rifle on my back, I sought out Rose, spying her and Wab embracing in the dirt expanse between the woods and the road.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
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.
