Unmanned Meaning
/ʌnˈmænd/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjNot operated by a person or a crew.
adjOf a bird of prey: not accustomed to the presence of human beings.
Sentence Examples
The International Space Station received several tons of supplies this week from an unmanned craft.
After the lighthouse keeper's death, the lighthouse was left unmanned.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The space agency sent an ____ rocket to explore the distant planet.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The scientists used an ____ aircraft to take photos of the remote mountain range and gather weather data today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English manned English unmanned From un- + manned.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way."
— 2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6:
"But her presence, via Beam, a teleconference robot that looks like the offspring of a computer and a Segway, roams the floor at what Beam reps say is the world’s first and only unmanned store."
— 2015 May 13, Molly Blake, “Would You Buy a Robot From a Robot?”, in The Atlantic:
"The album [Drones] tackles issues of agency and independence and coercion within relationships as much as it acknowledges warfare and an imagined totalitarian force that needs to be overcome, but the image of unmanned robots wielding power from the sky is always present."
— 2015 May 22, Sophie Gilbert, “Unmanned: Why Culture Is Suddenly Obsessed With Drones”, in The Atlantic:
"Turning to artificial intelligence and smart tech to overhaul maritime safety, his company Zelim is working on a trio of life-saving technologies — including an autonomous, unmanned lifeboat called “Guardian.”"
— 2023 November 13, Rebecca Cairns, “This unmanned lifeboat could rescue drowning people on its own”, in CNN:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The space agency sent an ____ rocket to explore the distant planet.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The scientists used an ____ aircraft to take photos of the remote mountain range and gather weather data today.