unsigned

Everyday

1. Not signed; with no name written on it: «an unsigned letter». tree →
2. (music, sport) Not having a contract with a record company or a team: «an unsigned band». tree →
3. (maths, computing) An unsigned number has no plus or minus sign and is never negative. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, an unsigned letter or note is anonymous — you don't know who wrote it. In school, an unsigned permission slip means the trip is not allowed until a parent signs. In computing, an unsigned whole number can only be 0 or positive. In Alice in Wonderland, at the trial the White Rabbit reads a letter «not signed at the end», and the King says that makes it worse — a silly kind of logic.

Examples

• The letter was unsigned, so we don't know who sent it. tree →
• Your permission slip is still unsigned. tree →
• The King said an unsigned letter proved the Knave meant mischief. tree →
• The band is still unsigned but plays every weekend. tree →
• An unsigned number cannot be negative. tree →
• Don't sign up for anything online without asking an adult. tree →

Note

Prefix un- = not: unsigned = not signed. In maths/computing, «unsigned» means without a + or − sign, so the value is zero or positive.