Unmarried
/ˌʌnˈmærid/
Definitions
Not having a spouse; not wedded.
/ˌʌnˈmærid/
Not joined in marriage
He is unmarried and looking for the right person.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend is single and not dating anyone yet. 'Unmarried' is just a fancy way of saying they're not married.
👶 For kids: It means you haven't said "I do" and gotten married.
More Examples
The census gathered data on both married and unmarried individuals.
Many unmarried couples are choosing to live together before considering marriage.
How It's Used
"She is unmarried and living with her parents."
"The unmarried couple was granted equal rights."
From 'un-' (not) + 'married'. The word 'married' itself comes from Old French 'marier,' meaning 'to marry.' The prefix 'un-' indicates negation.
Used commonly since at least the 16th century; early examples focus on social and legal statuses related to marriage.
Memory tip
Think of 'un-' as 'not' and 'married' as 'wedded.' Unmarried means not wedded.