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unstaffed

unstaffed

1 3.6
No workers are present at a place
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈstæft/
translation icon : sin personal
  • The airlock station and the front desk were unstaffed.

Examples

  • When Jack had called the main number for Building G back home in Universe Alpha, he was counting on the fact that the building would normally be unstaffed at night.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Well, Building G in Universe Beta was also unstaffed at night, which made Jack's life that much easier.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • His estimate indicates that not all mosques hold a khutba because there would still not be enough preachers to fill the unstaffed mosques and replace unqualified imams.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The museum was unstaffed on Sundays, allowing visitors to explore the exhibits freely.

  • Many hotels become unstaffed during off-peak seasons, which can affect customer service.

  • During the holiday season, some offices are unstaffed, leading to delays in response times.

Synonyms

vacant
vsunstaffed
104 2.6

Not occupied by anyone, for example a seat or job

is without employees present even when a role or seat is empty
unoccupied
vsunstaffed
7 3.4

Empty and not used by anyone

has no employees present even if space is used
untended
vsunstaffed
3 4.9

Not given care, like a garden

means no employees are present rather than neglect or disrepair

How Staffed

understaffed
15 3.4
unstaffed
1 3.6

Surface Forms

unstaffed positive

Morphology

unstaffed = staffed (transparent) = un + staff + ed

The adjective 'staffed' clearly means 'having staff', and adding 'un-' straightforwardly negates that meaning.

Etymology

The word unstaffed is made from un- meaning 'not' and staff meaning 'workers' or 'people who work at a place'. So unstaffed describes a place that has 'no staff' present.