Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Not joined, especially to surrounding tissue.
  • adjective Not committed to or dependent on another person or group.
  • adjective Not married, engaged, or involved in a serious sexual or romantic relationship.
  • adjective Law Of or relating to property that has not been seized by legal writ.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not attached; free.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Not attached; not adhering; having no engagement; free.
  • adjective (Mil.) Not assigned to any company or regiment.
  • adjective (Law) Not taken or arrested.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not married or involved in a romantic relationship.
  • adjective Not attached, not connected with or belonging to a particular group or organization.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective not fastened together
  • adjective (of animals) able to swim about; not attached
  • adjective not associated in an exclusive sexual relationship

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

un- +‎ attached

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word unattached.

Examples

  • Another feature in connexion with the rookery is the presence of what may be called unattached bulls, which lie around at a little distance from the cows, and well apart, forming a regular ring through which any cow wishing to desert her pup or leave the rookery before the proper time has very little chance of passing, as one of these grips her firmly with his powerful flipper and stays her progress.

    The Home of the Blizzard Being the Story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 Douglas Mawson 1920

  • Sam Woodhull, erstwhile column captain of the great train, of late more properly to be called unattached, also was absent.

    The Covered Wagon Emerson Hough 1890

  • Plus, casual dating let's guys know you're unattached, which is probably another wrong assumption they're making right now.

    ARGville VictorM 2010

  • Plus, casual dating let's guys know you're unattached, which is probably another wrong assumption they're making right now.

    ARGville VictorM 2010

  • But with the cause of immigration now gaining momentum there is now attempt underway to obscure legitimate policy differences with incendiary labels unattached to reality, Stein suggested.

    Immigration Watch International 2008

  • This NY Times reporter claims that when the man in the photo was described as already in a "committed relationship," 90% of the single women were interested in him, but when he was described as not currently in a relationship (Tierney uses the word "unattached"), only 59% were interested in him.

    Bella DePaulo: New York Times Reporter Thinks Single Women Fear Intimacy; I'm Afraid He's Wrong 2009

  • They list Lance as "unattached", so I guess its splitsville from the Olsen Twins..frilly, take note...talk about your day-old danish.

    Coming Back to Haunt You: Scary Faces and Spiky Bikes BikeSnobNYC 2008

  • Long before the Course begins to thin it is almost dark, and then, if the poor lounger is "unattached," and is sharing his buggy with

    Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 12, No. 31, October, 1873 Various

  • In this low estimate, of course, are not included the work of the few regular contributors who are recognised, though "unattached," as well as of the others who make a practice of sending every good new joke they hear to such a friend as they may happen to have on the Staff.

    The History of "Punch" M. H. Spielmann

  • Students should be aware of how "unattached" children are set up for failure and antisocial behavior disorders, by poor bonding with the parent in the first few months and years of life.

    Sequential Problem Solving A Student Handbook with Checklists for Successful Critical Thinking Fredric Lozo

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.