unaffiliated

adjective

un·​af·​fil·​i·​at·​ed ˌən-ə-ˈfi-lē-ˌā-təd How to pronounce unaffiliated (audio)
Synonyms of unaffiliatednext
: not closely associated with, belonging to, or subordinate to another : not affiliated
The hospital is unaffiliated with the university.
unaffiliated voters

Examples of unaffiliated 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.
The election inspectors must disclose their political affiliation to help the clerks ensure balanced staffing – claiming independent or unaffiliated is not an option for these roles. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Social events where fraternities and sororities mix with one another and with unaffiliated members are usually at least registered with university officials. — Richard Hall, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 Delaware Life said investigators are examining whether investments tied to affiliated businesses had been improperly reported as unaffiliated. — Eric Nehm, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Two historic blue blood programs, squaring off on campus and not at Mercedes-Benz Stadium or some other unaffiliated NFL venue. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unaffiliated

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unaffiliated was in 1849

Rhymes for unaffiliated

See All Rhymes for unaffiliated

Browse Nearby Words

unaffianced
unaffiliated
unafflicted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unaffiliated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unaffiliated. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unaffiliated

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unaffiliated

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All