English Reference

Word

unclaimed

Phoneticsun·claimed

US/ənˈkɫeɪmd/

UK/ʌnklˈeɪmd/

Definition

adj. describing something that no one has taken or accepted. You use this for items like lost property or money that no one has come to collect.

adj. not claimed or accepted by any person or entity. Often used to describe property, funds, or rights that have been abandoned or for which the owner is unknown.

Examples

“The police found several unclaimed bags at the station.”

“After a month of no response, the bank moved the unclaimed funds to a government account.”

“The museum houses a collection of unclaimed artifacts, many of which were discovered during the excavation of a site with no known historical records.”

Examples

simple

“The police found several unclaimed bags at the station.”

contextual

“After a month of no response, the bank moved the unclaimed funds to a government account.”

complex

“The museum houses a collection of unclaimed artifacts, many of which were discovered during the excavation of a site with no known historical records.”

Real-World Examples

“And, why more than £1.5 billion languishing in unclaimed, government-backed Child Trust Funds will be the focus of a new review by the Financial Conduct Authority.”
BBC News · 5 Sept 2026
“Although the US and Ecuador have celebrated the recent operations on social media, three cases from earlier this year remain unclaimed .”
The Guardian · 26 Sept 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/unclaimed

English Reference