unmanned

adjective

un·​manned ˌən-ˈmand How to pronounce unmanned (audio)
1
see usage paragraph below : not carrying, staffed, or performed by people : not manned
an unmanned railroad crossing
unmanned spaceflight
2
of a hawk : not trained
Usage of Manned and Unmanned

While manned and unmanned are still commonly used in news sources to describe spaceflights, NASA has since the early 21st century used and prescribed non-gender-specific terms, preferring such descriptors as human, piloted, and crewed for the former, and unpiloted and uncrewed for the latter.

Examples of unmanned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Kyiv The report, posted to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine's official X, formerly Twitter page, also said that six tanks, 72 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and 114 vehicles were destroyed within the same time frame. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024 Poland is also closely studying the use of AI on Ukrainian battlefields, including geospatial intelligence solutions, unmanned systems, and cyber warfare, seeking to draw lessons to safeguard its security and counter Russian hybrid attacks. Lidia Kurasinska, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 Russia launched approximately 188 drones into Ukraine on Monday night — the single largest swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles deployed in the conflict. Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Nov. 2024 Forty-nine cases during the reporting period were resolved during the reporting period as objects such as balloons, birds and unmanned aerial systems. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unmanned 

Word History

First Known Use

1544, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unmanned was in 1544

Dictionary Entries Near unmanned

Cite this Entry

“Unmanned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unmanned. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

unmanned

adjective
un·​manned ˌən-ˈmand How to pronounce unmanned (audio)
ˈən-
: having no crew aboard
an unmanned spacecraft

More from Merriam-Webster on unmanned

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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