unexplained
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Explanation
Something that's unexplained isn't known or made clear, like an unexplained creaking sound coming from the attic of your grandparents' creepy house. Anything without a clear reason for happening or existing is unexplained, whether it's the mysterious crack in the kitchen window or some lines of movie dialogue spoken in a language you don't understand (and without subtitles). When you explain something, you describe what it is, how it works, or why it exists — and then it's explained. Add the prefix un-, meaning "not," and you get unexplained.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In an interview with police after her arrest in 2024, Lady Donaldson said they were both fully clothed, but described it as an "unexplained situation".
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Early symptoms include fever and fatigue; later stages may involve diarrhea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
And why MedPac — an independent body overseen by leading healthcare professionals from across all parts of the industry, from doctors to nursing organizations to health insurers themselves — would fabricate these numbers is unexplained.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
This means that unexplained, persistent high B12, especially when it is not caused by supplements, should not be ignored.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
If people are shocked by these unexplained losses—the post, their salary, a friend walking home on the road—they don’t mention it.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
