unemployed
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.not having a job, even though you want one and are looking for work.
adj.describing a person who is currently without paid employment but is actively seeking work.
Simple“He has been unemployed for six months, but he finally has an interview tomorrow.”
In context“The factory closure left hundreds of skilled workers suddenly unemployed in a region with few other industrial opportunities.”
PitfallHe is an unemployed. He is unemployed.When describing one person, use 'unemployed' as an adjective. Do not use it as a countable noun for an individual.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.people who do not have jobs, looked at as a large group.
n.a collective noun referring to the segment of the population that is currently without work.
Simple“The government is creating new training programs to help the unemployed.”
In context“Economic policies must address the needs of the long-term unemployed to prevent social exclusion and permanent loss of skills.”
UsageAlways used with the definite article 'the' and treated as a plural noun.
Synonymsthe joblessAntonymsthe workforce - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.not being used for any purpose at the moment.
adj.not being utilised or put to a specific purpose; often used in technical or formal contexts regarding resources or capital.
Simple“The company has a lot of unemployed capital that could be invested in new projects.”
In context“The report highlighted the amount of unemployed machinery sitting in the warehouse while production targets remained unmet.”
From un- + employed.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.