unprepared

adjective

un·​pre·​pared ˌən-pri-ˈperd How to pronounce unprepared (audio)
: not prepared
was unprepared for class
… they were woefully unprepared to take on the responsibilities expected of them.Richard M. Ketchum
unpreparedness
ˌən-pri-ˈper-əd-nəs How to pronounce unprepared (audio)
 also  -ˈperd-nəs
noun

Examples of unprepared in a Sentence

an obviously unprepared acceptance speech by the surprise winner
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.
Yet, many households are woefully unprepared to meet the challenges this entails. Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Yet as communities from the Eastern Seaboard to the Midwest are engulfed in record-breaking temperatures, the U.S. is now even more dangerously unprepared. Kathy Baughman McLeod, Time, 24 June 2025 The summer season was made for all-day fun in the sun, but being unprepared in the scorching heat can quickly ruin a good time. Maryal Miller Carter, USA Today, 21 June 2025 In 2019, a national survey of OB-GYN, internal medicine and family practice residency programs revealed that 20% of graduating residents had received no lectures on menopause, and 6.8% felt unprepared to care for menopausal patients. Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unprepared

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprepared was in 1528

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Cite this Entry

“Unprepared.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprepared. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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