unmarried

unmarried — adjective

1. not having a spouse — someone who is unmarried has never been married, or is no

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

not having a spouse — someone who is unmarried has never been married, or is no longer married, and does not have a husband or wife.

Example

Rachid remained unmarried throughout his adult life and travelled the world as a photographer.

remained unmarried — linking-verb + adjective pattern

The apartment building had a special floor reserved for unmarried residents only.

attributive: unmarried + noun (residents)

Common collocations
  • remain unmarried
  • unmarried mother
  • unmarried father
  • unmarried couple
  • unmarried status
  • unmarried woman
  • unmarried man
  • unmarried person
  • unmarried partner
Synonyms
  • single

    more common in everyday speech; can also mean not in a relationship

  • unwed

    rare in modern English; mostly found in legal or historical contexts

  • bachelor

    refers only to a man who has never been married; informal

Antonyms
  • married

    the direct opposite in marital status

  • wed

    formal or literary opposite

Grammar Patterns

unmarried + noun

be + unmarried

Usage Note

Common in official forms and demographic writing. The word 'single' is more general and can also mean not in a romantic relationship, whereas 'unmarried' strictly refers to legal marital status.

Common Mistakes

I am unmarried and looking for a boyfriend.
I am single and looking for a boyfriend.
'Unmarried' focuses on legal marital status; 'single' is more natural for romantic relationship status.
She is still unmarried at 28.' (sounds judgmental)
She has never been married.
In personal conversation, 'never been married' or 'single' avoids the slightly formal or dated tone of 'unmarried'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Unmarried' is the most neutral and formal term for someone without a spouse. 'Single' is far more common in daily conversation and can mean either not married or not in a romantic relationship — a person can be single but dating, or single and not looking. 'Unwed' is rare in contemporary English, reserved mostly for legal documents or historical discussion (e.g., 'unwed mother'). 'Bachelor' applies only to men and carries a slightly informal, often positive tone about an independent lifestyle. In practice, use 'single' when chatting about personal life, 'unmarried' when filling out official forms or writing demographic reports, and avoid 'unwed' unless the context is formal or historical.

single ↗unwedbachelor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old English (prefix un-)Latin (maritare)Old French (marier)English

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') to 'married'. The word 'married' comes from Old French 'marier' (to marry), which traces back to Latin 'maritare' (to wed), from 'maritus' (husband).