# unmarried

/ənˈmɛɹid/ (US) · /ʌnmˈæɹɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unmarried
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. not married

adjective · CEFR B1

not having a husband or a wife.

For teachers: not currently in a state of matrimony. The term is non-gradable and typically functions as a formal descriptor of marital status.

- The survey asked if he was married, unmarried, or widowed.
- The legal document specified that the property would be inherited by his unmarried children in equal shares.

### 2. a person not married

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a person who does not have a husband or wife.

For teachers: an individual who is not married. This nominal use is less common than the adjective and often appears in statistical or sociological contexts.

- The tax laws for unmarrieds are different in this country.
- The study compared the living arrangements of young unmarrieds across several European metropolitan areas.

## Examples

- He remained unmarried for his entire life.
- The survey asks whether you are married, unmarried, or widowed to help determine tax eligibility.
- In many nineteenth-century novels, the social standing of an unmarried woman was a central theme, often tied to her inheritance and family connections.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.