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unused
/ʌnˈjuːzd/
not used
She has an unused gym membership.
The membership exists but she never goes to the gym.
general
Not having been used; not put to practical use.
The unused ticket was thrown away.
The ticket existed but was never used.
He kept an unused room in his house.
The room existed but was not utilized.
formal
Not accustomed to something; unfamiliar.
She was unused to the cold climate.
She was not familiar with or adapted to the cold.
Collocations
unused tonot accustomed tounused ticketa ticket that has not been usedunused spacea space that is not being utilized
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'unuse'
'Unuse' is a rare verb meaning 'to render something useless' (e.g., 'The chemicals unuse the fabric.'). 'Unused' is the correct adjective form in most contexts.
Gold Rule
Position in sentences
'Unused' typically comes before the noun it modifies (e.g., 'unused ticket') or after a linking verb (e.g., 'The ticket is unused.').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'un-', a prefix meaning 'not', combined with 'used', the past participle of 'use' (from Old French 'user', from Latin 'ūsus', meaning 'use'). First attested in the 15th century.
Usage Notes
Commonly used to describe objects, spaces, or states that exist but are not currently being utilized. Less commonly used to describe people unfamiliar with a situation (e.g., 'unused to the heat').
Word Breakdown
un-
not
prefixused
past participle of 'use'
rootEnglish Dictionary