Definitions

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

  • adjective Not in a state of order or calmness; disturbed.
  • adjective Likely to change or vary; variable.
  • adjective Not determined or resolved.
  • adjective Uncertain or doubtful.
  • adjective Not paid or adjusted; outstanding.
  • adjective Uninhabited or not occupied by settlers.
  • adjective Not fixed or established.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not settled; not fixed in resolution; not determined; unsteady or wavering; fickle; fluctuating; of the mind, disturbed; deranged.
  • Not determined, as something in doubt; not freed from uncertainty: as, an unsettled question.
  • Having no fixed place of abode; not established. Unequal; not regular; changeable: as, unsettled weather. Not having the lees or dregs deposited; turbid; roily: as, an unsettled liquid. Not adjusted; not liquidated; unpaid: as, an unsettled dispute; an unsettled bill. Having no inhabitants; not occupied by permanent inhabitants: as, unsettled lands.
  • Disturbed; lawless.

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

  • adjective Disturbed, upset.
  • adjective Not in a steady condition, uncertain, subject to change.
  • adjective Not populated, having no settlers or other inhabitants.
  • adjective Unpaid.
  • verb Simple past tense and past participle of unsettle.

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

  • adjective not settled or established
  • adjective subject to change
  • adjective still in doubt
  • adjective not yet settled

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

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

Examples

  • It has created a kind of automobilism -- if the word may be allowed -- of mind and manners, an inclination to be perpetually "on the move," too much pressed for time to do anything at all, permanently unsettled, in fact to be _unsettled_ is its habitual condition if not its recognized plan of life.

    The Education of Catholic Girls Janet Erskine Stuart

  • You can't blame the NASA engineers when they have families to feed in unsettled times.

    Phantom Internal Studies - NASA Watch 2009

  • The situation at point guard likely will remain unsettled unless Brady Heslip can come in as a freshman and lend some stability.

    Atlantic Coast Conference 2010

  • It made his stomach churn, already unsettled from the shifting g-forces of the shuttlecraft.

    Archive 2010-04-01 Blue Tyson 2010

  • The situation at point guard likely will remain unsettled unless Brady Heslip can come in as a freshman and lend some stability.

    Boston College - Team Notes 2010

  • People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.

    radio 2007

  • They remain unsettled at fullback after releasing Henderson.

    In Green Bay, they've got Favre and inexperience 2007

  • Of course, I did not order the steak ... still feeling more than a little unsettled from the fishing adventure.

    Albloggerque johnny_mango 2005

  • With the league backing off its demand to link revenues with player costs, the players responded by accepting a salary cap during negotiations that took place in nearby Niagara Falls, N.Y. Still unsettled is where to set the cap.

    USATODAY.com - Players wonder what took so long for NHLPA to accept cap 2005

  • Still unsettled is the fate of left-hander John Halama.

    USATODAY.com - American League West 2002

Comments

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