Definition

Adjective: 1. Not saved from spiritual peril; not having attained salvation: Specifically, in a Christian theological context, referring to a person who has not been redeemed from sin and is therefore considered subject to eternal damnation. 2. (Computing) Not preserved; lost due to lack of saving: Referring to data, such as a document or file, that has been created or modified but not stored to a permanent memory device, meaning the changes will be lost if the program closes or the computer shuts down.

Usage and Examples

• Spiritual/Religious Context:
  • The missionary felt a deep calling to preach to the unsaved.
  • Some doctrines emphasize the fate of the unsaved soul.
• Computing/General Context:
  • Warning: You have unsaved changes. Would you like to save before closing?
  • I lost three hours of work because I accidentally closed the unsaved document.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The term is most strongly associated with evangelical Christian terminology. In this context, it is a direct antonym of "saved" (meaning having received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ).
• In computing, it is a standard technical term used in user interface warnings. The phrase "unsaved changes" is a fixed collocation.

Variants and Related Words

• Unredeemed (adj): Similar in the spiritual sense; not saved from sin or evil. ()
• Lost (adj): Can be synonymous in the spiritual sense (e.g., ). Also used generally for unsaved data (e.g., ).
• Damned (adj): Condemned to eternal punishment; a stronger, more forceful synonym for the spiritual sense of "unsaved."

Synonyms

• Spiritual: unredeemed, lost, damned, unconverted.
• Computing/General: unpreserved, unstored.

Antonyms

• Spiritual: saved, redeemed, converted.
• Computing/General: saved, stored, preserved.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• The unsaved: (noun phrase) Used collectively to refer to people who are not saved.
  • Their ministry focuses on reaching the unsaved.
• Unsaved changes: (computing) The specific modifications made to a file since it was last saved.
  • Always save your work frequently to avoid losing unsaved changes.

Adjective

1. in danger of the eternal punishment of Hell
   • poor damned souls