unexplained
Britishadjective
Other Word 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.
For decades, scientists have detected an unexplained rise in the number of low-energy gamma rays emitted by certain nuclei.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
An unexplained increase invites confusion, said Stephen Juneau, an economist at Bank of America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The unexplained, silent changing of casualty statistics - for both the wounded and the dead - was criticised as undermining transparency.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Still others described unexplained rashes, outbreaks of diarrhea and infestations of lice, among a host of other maladies for which many said they were offered only Tylenol or allergy medication.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Recognition of those factors emphasizes the unexplained residue, whose understanding will be a task for the future.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
