What does unemployed mean?

Definitions for unemployed
ˌʌn ɛmˈplɔɪdun·em·ployed

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word unemployed.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. unemployed people, unemployedadjective

    people who are involuntarily out of work (considered as a group)

    "the long-term unemployed need assistance"

  2. unemployedadjective

    not engaged in a gainful occupation

    "unemployed workers marched on the capital"

Wiktionary

  1. unemployednoun

    Unemployed people.

    The unemployed are a growing portion of the population.

  2. unemployedadjective

    Having no profession (despite being able and willing to work).

  3. unemployedadjective

    Having no use, not doing work

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Unemployedadjective

    Other creatures, all day long
    Rove idle, unemploy’d, and less need rest. John Milton, Par. Lost.

    Wilt thou then serve Philistines with that gift,
    Which was expresly given thee to annoy them?
    Better at home lie bedrid, not only idle,
    Inglorious, unemploy’d, with age out-worn. John Milton.

    Our wise creator has annexed to several objects, and to the ideas we receive of them, as also, to several of our thoughts, a concomitant pleasure, that those faculties which we are endowed with, might not remain idle and unemployed. John Locke.

    Pales unhonour’d, Ceres unemploy’d,
    Were all forgot. Dryden.

    Men, soured with poverty, and unemploy’d, easily give into any prospect of change. Addison.

ChatGPT

  1. unemployed

    Unemployed refers to individuals who are of working age and capable of working, but are currently not engaged in any form of paid employment, even though they are actively seeking work. It also includes those who have been temporarily laid off with no definite date of returning back to work. This term is commonly used in labor force studies and is a key metric in economic analyses.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Unemployedadjective

    not employed in manual or other labor; having no regular work

  2. Unemployedadjective

    not invested or used; as, unemployed capital

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Unemployed

    un-em-ploid′, adj. out of work: not put to use or profit.—n. Unemploy′ment.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'unemployed' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3690

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'unemployed' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2247

  3. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'unemployed' in Adjectives Frequency: #472

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce unemployed?

How to say unemployed in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of unemployed in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of unemployed in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of unemployed in a Sentence

  1. John Christian Bovee:

    Mind unemployed is mind unenjoyed.

  2. Osheme Antoine:

    There are too many unemployed people.

  3. Mmusi Maimane:

    Let's not forget the 8.2 million who are unemployed.

  4. Lee Sims:

    Untreated patients can lose everything, as I did, and become part of the unemployed, under-employed, disabled, and homeless populations.

  5. Chibeze Ezekiel:

    We agree that there are people who are unemployed and that jobs are critical, but we believe that there's a better alternative in the area of renewable energy which guarantees employment not only for the short term, but for a long time.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

unemployed#10000#12212#100000

Translations for unemployed

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"unemployed." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 16 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/unemployed>.

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    irregularly slashed and jagged as if torn
    A usurious
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