English Reference

Word

unmanned

Phoneticsun·manned

US/ənˈmænd/

UK/ʌnmˈænd/

Definition

adj. operating without a person inside to control it. You use this to describe machines like drones or space probes that work on their own or by remote control.

adj. not carrying or operated by a person or crew. Often refers to autonomous or remotely piloted vehicles and equipment.

Examples

“The military uses unmanned drones for surveillance.”

“The space agency successfully landed an unmanned probe on the surface of the distant moon to collect soil samples.”

“Advancements in artificial intelligence have accelerated the development of unmanned underwater vehicles capable of mapping the ocean floor without any direct human intervention for months at a time.”

Examples

simple

“The military uses unmanned drones for surveillance.”

contextual

“The space agency successfully landed an unmanned probe on the surface of the distant moon to collect soil samples.”

complex

“Advancements in artificial intelligence have accelerated the development of unmanned underwater vehicles capable of mapping the ocean floor without any direct human intervention for months at a time.”

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun.

Real-World Examples

“The building used by Milrem Robotics, a maker of unmanned military weapons systems ⁠deployed in Ukraine and elsewhere, was targeted late on Friday.”
The Guardian · 19 Aug 2026
“The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), set to blast off from Tanegashima Space Center in the coming months, could also lay the groundwork for humans visiting the red planet.”
Phys.org · 16 Aug 2026

Etymology

From un- + manned.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/unmanned

English Reference