Standard Lemma guide

unbound

adj · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʌnˈbaʊnd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊnd
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N B AW1 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not bound.

Not obligated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: unconstrained, unrestrained, unencumbered; unfettered, fetterless
  • The terms of the contract inadvertently left certain unbound aspects to subjective interpretation.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unconstrained, unrestrained, unencumbered, unfettered, fetterless

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not bound.

Not tied up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: unfettered, fetterless, unrestrained, unchained, unshackled, shackleless, unmanacled, unhandcuffed
  • The hostages' hands were left unbound.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfettered, fetterless, unrestrained, unchained, unshackled, shackleless, unmanacled, unhandcuffed

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not bound.

Without a binding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • an unbound book

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Not bound.

Lying beyond the proton or neutron drip line; having a negative particle separation energy; capable of decaying by the spontaneous exothermic emission of one or more nucleons.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: nuclear physics

Examples

  • Helium-2 is unbound, as it is energetically favorable for it to split into two separate protons.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

simple past and past participle of unbind

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

not restrained or tied down by bonds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: bound

7

adjective

Meaning 7

not secured within a cover

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an unbound book

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: bound

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

not held in chemical or physical combination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: несвързан (nesvǎrzan) — not bound or tied up
  • Bulgarian: свободен (svoboden) — not bound or tied up
  • German: ungebunden — not bound or tied up
  • Latin: solūtus — not bound or tied up
  • Sanskrit: अदिति (aditi) — not bound or tied up
  • Swedish: obunden — not bound or tied up
  • Bulgarian: неподвързан (nepodvǎrzan) — without a binding
  • Ido: broshita — without a binding
  • Ido: nebindita — without a binding
  • Dutch: ontbond — simple past of "to unbind"
  • Dutch: ontbonden — simple past of "to unbind"
  • Dutch: ontbonden — past participle of "to unbind"
  • Japanese: とじていない (tojiteinai) — past participle of "to unbind"