Unexposed

Unexposed is an adjective meaning not subjected to exposure. In common usage, it describes something that has not been exposed to light, heat, chemical agents, or other influences that might alter it. The context determines what kind of exposure is implied: optical, radiological, environmental, or experimental.

In photography and imaging, unexposed film or photographic plates have not yet received light through a camera shutter. They are clear or light-colored and do not contain a latent image. Once exposed and processed, they reveal a photograph or scene. Modern digital sensors do not become unexposed in the same sense, but the term can still describe a sensor region that has not recorded an image.

In medicine and radiography, unexposed often refers to a patient or tissue that has not been subjected to ionizing radiation or contrast agents. Maintaining unexposed status is a core safety goal; procedures are planned to minimize unnecessary exposure and to ensure protective measures are used when exposure cannot be avoided.

In other contexts, unexposed can describe materials or surfaces that have not been exposed to weathering, chemicals, or external conditions, such as fabrics stored in a sealed environment or new, unexposed archivable media.

See also: exposure, latent image, radiation safety, archival media.