unbleached

British  

/ ʌnˈbliːtʃt /

adjective

1. not having been made or become white or lighter through exposure to sunlight or by the action of chemical agents, etc

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Explanation

Use the adjective unbleached to describe something that looks like it might be chemically lightened but actually isn't. If you're a baker, you might know that regular, all-purpose flour is often chemically treated — while unbleached flour is not. The word unbleached comes from adding the prefix un- ("not") to bleached, which stems from a root word that means "shining white." You'll almost always find this adjective describing things that might typically be bleached. For example, fabric and paper are often lightened with chemicals, but unbleached cotton fabric and unbleached writing paper are not.

Example Sentences

Texas-based company Hiro Technologies has created unbleached disposable diapers that comes with a packet of fungi which is added to the used diaper when it's ready to be thrown away.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

All this means that going natural costs more money: a pair of Landesman’s unbleached boxers start at $35, while Ryker’s boxer briefs sell for $34 and up and EDN’s go for $38.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

I prefer unbleached flour when dealing with those types of yeasts.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025

In a heating experiment, the team determined that both thermally stressed and bleached coral exude a different composition of organic matter in response to thermal stress as compared to unbleached coral.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024

Below the window I watched the crowns of people’s heads passing beneath new straw hats not yet unbleached.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

Related Words

• pure
• raw