unconfirmed
Britishadjective
Explanation
Use the adjective unconfirmed to describe something that may or may not be true. If you've heard that there might be a pizza party at school tomorrow, but it hasn't been officially announced, it's just an unconfirmed rumor. You'll probably come across this word if you spend much a lot of time reading or listening to the news. Unconfirmed reports of a suspect running west down Main Street mean that there's been chatter about seeing this person, but no one can or establish the truth of the sighting. Unconfirmed things haven't been photographed or filmed, and they don't have an authority declaring them to be fact.
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.
Unconfirmed reports suggested one person was injured, though details about the cause of the injury were not available.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
Unconfirmed reports of explosions near Iran’s Kharg Island, its main oil export facility, raise concerns for global supply.
From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026
Unconfirmed reports say that some military higher-ups fled the country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026
Unconfirmed reports emerged of soldiers casting away their uniforms and running off in civilian clothing.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2024
Unconfirmed, un-kon-firmd′, adj. not confirmed: not verified by further testimony: not yet having received the rite of confirmation: not yet having election as bishop confirmed by an archbishop: weak.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
