What does unfinished mean?
Unfinished describes something that has not been completed or brought to its final state. The word is especially common for work, projects, tasks, discussions, and creative productions: an unfinished report may still be being written, while unfinished business suggests matters that remain unresolved. It can also describe a surface or style that lacks final refinement, such as unfinished wood or an unfinished-looking design. In most contexts, unfinished suggests a process that is incomplete rather than one that is necessarily defective. An unfinished piece may be abandoned, delayed, or still in progress, and the word itself does not specify which. Because it focuses on the absence of completion or final treatment, unfinished is useful when describing both practical work and the appearance or texture of a finished object.
adjectiveNot completed or brought to an end. It can also describe something lacking final polish or refinement.
- Not completed or brought to an end.
- Lacking a final polished, refined, or decorative treatment.
"The unfinished manuscript was carefully stored in a drawer."
"The project was left unfinished when the funding ran out."
"The carved wooden frame has a deliberately unfinished surface."
An unfinished thing is not necessarily a failed one: it may simply be a work that has not yet reached its final form.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unfinished come from?
Unfinished is formed by combining the prefix un- with finish. The word finish comes through Old French from Latin finire, a verb derived from finis, meaning end or limit. Related English words include final, finite, finale, and finial, all of which reflect the same Latin root. The negative prefix changes the sense from completing or ending something to describing something that has not yet reached that state.
How unfinished is actually used
Neutral in register and common in both formal and informal contexts. It is used attributively before nouns and predicatively after linking verbs.