unprotected
adjective
un·pro·tect·ed
ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd 
1
: lacking protection or defense
unprotected troops
skin unprotected from the sun's rays
2
: performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy
also
: performed without the use of a condom to prevent spread of sexually transmitted infection
unprotected sex
Examples of unprotected in a Sentence
They're planning to build roads over thousands of acres of unprotected land.
If your computer is unprotected, you're likely to get a virus.
Recent Examples on the Web
Minimizing contact with those who may have been exposed is meant to stop any unprotected interactions that could lead to the possible spread of hantavirus.
—
Pien Huang, NPR, 15 May 2026
If malicious software does get into your system, Data Protector prevents it from modifying unprotected files.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 May 2026
So next season very much becomes like 2024-25, when a failure to make the playoffs could mean an unprotected first-round pick going out the following year (which would have been this year’s draft due to a previous obligation to the Thunder).
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2026
If the 2026 first-rounder didn’t convey, then the Clippers would get Indiana’s unprotected 2031 pick, which is the same year franchise star Kawhi Leonard turns 40 years old.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unprotected
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Pien Huang, NPR, 15 May 2026
If malicious software does get into your system, Data Protector prevents it from modifying unprotected files.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 May 2026
So next season very much becomes like 2024-25, when a failure to make the playoffs could mean an unprotected first-round pick going out the following year (which would have been this year’s draft due to a previous obligation to the Thunder).
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2026
If the 2026 first-rounder didn’t convey, then the Clippers would get Indiana’s unprotected 2031 pick, which is the same year franchise star Kawhi Leonard turns 40 years old.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unprotected
Cite this Entry
“Unprotected.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprotected. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unprotected
adjective
un·pro·tect·ed
ˌən-prə-ˈtek-təd
1
: lacking protection or defense
unprotected troops
skin unprotected from the sun's rays
2
: performed without the use of birth control to prevent pregnancy
also
: performed without the use of a condom to prevent the spread of a sexually transmitted disease
unprotected sex
Medical Definition
unprotected
adjective
un·pro·tect·ed
-prə-ˈtek-təd
: not protected
especially
: performed without measures to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease
unprotected sexual intercourse
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
