🛋️ Not busy 💍 Not promised

unengaged

1 4.8

Not promised to marry someone

adjective
/ˌʌnɪnˈɡeɪdʒd/

: soltero

After years of dating, he found himself unengaged and ready to explore new opportunities.

Examples

Yes, well, I'm not unengaged.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
She is happily unengaged and enjoying her newfound independence.
Having been unengaged for a while, she decided to travel and discover herself.

Synonyms

unattached

vsunengaged

12 3.9

Not in a romantic or sexual relationship with someone

is specifically about not being promised to marry rather than being single

uncommitted

vsunengaged

1 4.4

Not in a romantic or sexual relationship with only one person

is about not being promised to marry rather than exclusivity

unpledged

vsunengaged

1 6.9

A person who is not promised to marry or engaged

means the same but differs only in word form

unpartnered

vsunengaged

1 4.1

Not in a romantic relationship or living with someone

focuses on not being promised to marry rather than lacking a partner

Antonyms

engaged

331 1.4

Promised to marry someone

Surface Forms

unengaged positive

Morphology

unengaged = engaged (transparent) = un + engage + ed

Productive negation 'un-' applied to 'engaged' in the sense 'betrothed', so 'unengaged' straightforwardly means 'not engaged to be married'.

Etymology

Unengaged comes from the prefix un- ('not') and engage ('to promise' or 'to bind'), and engagement is the same root that means a promise to marry. So unengaged means 'not promised' or 'not committed' to be married.