Unmet means not satisfied, not fulfilled, or not achieved. When something is unmet, it hasn't been taken care of or provided for yet.

You might have unmet needs at school if you need extra help with math but haven't gotten it yet. A basketball team might have an unmet goal of winning the championship if the season ends before they achieve it. A scientist studying a disease might talk about unmet medical needs, meaning patients need treatments that don't exist yet.

When you meet someone's expectations, you fulfill what they hoped for. When those expectations go unmet, they remain unfulfilled.

Unmet often appears when people are identifying problems that need solving. A town might have unmet transportation needs if many residents lack ways to get to work. A student might feel they have unmet potential, meaning they're capable of more than they've achieved so far. Recognizing something as unmet is often the first step toward actually meeting it.