unfinished

[ uhn-fin-isht ]

adjective

1. not finished; finished; incomplete or unaccomplished.
2. lacking some special finish or surface treatment, as polish, paint, etc.
3. (of cloth) not sheared following the looming process.
4. (of worsted) given a slight nap.

unfinished

/ ʌnˈfɪnɪʃt /

adjective

1. incomplete or imperfect
2. (of paint, polish, varnish, etc) without an applied finish; rough
3. (of fabric) unbleached or not processed
4. (of fabric) with a short nap

Other Words From

• un·finished·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unfinished¹

First recorded in 1530–40; un- ¹ + finished

Example Sentences

The Beatles also picked up a nomination for record of the year for Now And Then, an unfinished John Lennon track that was completed last year with the help of AI.

From BBC

Left unfinished at the composer’s death in 1869, it was the most important opera of last weekend and delivered in far and away the least decorative manner.

From Los Angeles Times

Over the last year, the graffiti-pocked husk of the unfinished Oceanwide Plaza skyscrapers have haunted Los Angeles’ skyline, a beacon of disrepair and, for some, artistic expression.

From Los Angeles Times

“Roman Polanski, forgetting any personal” — the thought went unfinished — “was a true master of cinema.”

From Los Angeles Times

Americans love the concept of equality under the law: That’s part of why the cases made by the Civil Rights Movement, the feminist movement, and the movement for same-sex marriage were so successful, even if these movements remain unfinished; it’s why programs like affirmative action have long been controversial, and why equality between groups with real biological differences—men and women—has been particularly hard to legislate and enforce.

From Slate

Related Words

• bare
• incomplete
• unadorned
• undeveloped
• unfulfilled