unmarried
Lacking a spouse
Unmarried means not married—having no spouse.
The word is neutral and administrative, appearing on forms and in legal contexts: marital status: unmarried.
Unlike *single*, which often implies availability, unmarried simply states a fact without connotation: She remained unmarried her whole life.
Unwed male adult
- bacheloretteUnmarried woman
- spinsterUnmarried older woman
- unwedNot hitched
- eligibleMeeting required conditions
partnerless · spouseless · mateless · celibate · maiden · solo · solitary · unattached
Legally ended marriage
- widowedHaving lost one's spouse
- separatedPut or kept apart
- divorceeFormerly married person
- widowBereaved wife, unmarried since
widower · annulled · estranged · ex-spouse · dissolution · breakup · split · remarriage
Free from external control
- self-sufficientAble to provide independently
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- liberatedReleased from confinement
- freeWithout payment or restriction
empowered · self-reliant · childless · carefree · unencumbered · unfettered · uncommitted · self-supporting
bachelor
Unwed male adult
- bacheloretteUnmarried woman
- spinsterUnmarried older woman
- unwedNot hitched
eligible · partnerless · spouseless · mateless · celibate · maiden · solo · solitary · unattached · unpaired
divorced
Legally ended marriage
widow · widower · annulled · estranged · ex-spouse · dissolution · breakup · split · remarriage · uncoupled
independent
Free from external control
- self-sufficientAble to provide independently
- autonomousSelf-directed and free
- liberatedReleased from confinement
free · empowered · self-reliant · childless · carefree · unencumbered · unfettered · uncommitted · self-supporting · freedom
eligible
Meeting required conditions
courtship · suitor · matchmaking · prospect · dating · proposal · intended · fiancé · fiancée · available
- relationship statussingle, divorced, engaged, separated, widowed
- Single Womensingle woman, bachelorette, spinster, maiden, singleton
- solo livingbachelor, bachelorette, hermit, loner, recluse
- singlessingle, bachelor, bachelorette, unwed, singleton
- unmarried coupleRomantic pair, legally single
- unmarried womanFemale without spouse
- unmarried parentsCaregivers without matrimony
- unmarried fathersMale parents not wed