unbeaten

To be "unbeaten" means to have not lost yet. You will see it most often in sports, games, and other contests. Imagine a team going through a whole season without a single loss. That team is unbeaten. A boxer with many wins and no defeats can also be called unbeaten. In some cases, a person or team can still be unbeaten even with a few draws, as long as there are no losses.

Think of the story of the legendary boxer Rocky Marciano. He retired with a perfect record: 49 wins and zero losses. People remembered him as an unbeaten champion because no one ever beat him in his professional career. It is a strong word for a run of success that has not been broken by defeat.

"Unbeaten" describes a person, team, or side that has not been defeated in a contest, competition, or series of matches. It is most common in sports. An unbeaten football club, tennis player, or boxer has gone through a period of play without losing. This does not always mean every result was a win. In many sports, draws or ties are still possible, so a team can be unbeaten with wins and draws, as long as it has no losses.

The word can also be used more widely for other kinds of competition. A candidate might be described as unbeaten after winning every election they have entered. A chess player may remain unbeaten through a tournament if no opponent manages to defeat them. In each case, the central idea is the same: others have tried, but no one has won against them.

There is also a less common, more literary use in phrases such as an unbeaten track, meaning a route that has not been worn down by many travelers. Even so, the main meaning of the word in modern English is still the competitive one: not defeated. That is why unbeaten often carries a feeling of strength, steadiness, and lasting success.