Unmarried means not married, or someone who has never been married or is no longer married. When you fill out a form that asks for your marital status, you might check “unmarried” if you don't have a spouse.

The word covers several situations: someone might be unmarried because they're too young to marry, because they haven't found the right person yet, or because they prefer to stay single. It also applies to people whose marriages have ended through divorce or the death of a spouse.

You'll often see unmarried in legal documents, news articles, or formal writing. In everyday conversation, people usually say “single” instead, though the two words aren't quite the same. “Single” can suggest someone is available and might be looking for a relationship, while unmarried simply states a legal fact without any implications about dating or relationships.

Some historical documents use the term “unmarried” in interesting ways. In old census records, unmarried adult women were sometimes called “spinsters” and unmarried men “bachelors,” though we rarely use spinster today. The word unmarried itself is more neutral and respectful, simply describing someone's relationship status without judgment or assumptions about why they aren't married.