What does uninjured mean?
Uninjured is an adjective meaning not harmed or physically injured. It is commonly used for people who have survived accidents, emergencies, or dangerous situations without sustaining injuries, as in “the passengers were uninjured.” The word can also describe objects that have not been damaged or affected by a harmful event. Its use generally has a reassuring quality: it emphasizes that no harm was done even when the circumstances were serious or threatening. Uninjured is somewhat more formal than unhurt and unharmed, and it appears frequently in news reporting and official statements. Together with words such as survived, escaped, and remain, it conveys safety, resilience, and a fortunate outcome.
adjectiveNot harmed or physically injured; unharmed. It can also mean undamaged or unaffected by something harmful.
- Not harmed or physically injured.
"Despite the collision, all three passengers escaped uninjured."
"The crew was uninjured after the plane made an emergency landing."
"The building remained uninjured despite the nearby explosion."
Sometimes the most remarkable outcome is not victory or defeat, but emerging from danger completely uninjured.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uninjured come from?
Uninjured is formed from the prefix un-, meaning “not,” and injured, which comes from Latin injuria, “injury” or “wrongful harm.” The English verb injure developed from the Latin root injuria and its related forms in the Middle English period. Uninjured is an English formation using the productive prefix un-, following the same pattern as unhurt and unharmed.
How uninjured is actually used
Uninjured is formal and often used in reports about accidents, emergencies, conflicts, or damage. It is more common in British and American English than in highly informal speech.
Easily confused with uninjured
An injured person or thing has been harmed, whereas an uninjured person or thing has not been harmed.