unspoken
Americanadjective
-
implied or understood without being spoken or uttered.
-
not addressed (usually followed byto ).
-
not talking; silent.
adjective
-
understood without needing to be spoken; tacit
-
not uttered aloud
Etymology
Origin of unspoken
First recorded in 1325–75, unspoken is from the Middle English word unspokyn. See un- 1, spoken
Explanation
Anything you don't say aloud is unspoken, especially if its meaning is understood anyway. Even though it's not officially allowed, there may be an unspoken understanding that high school seniors will skip school on a certain spring day. The adjective unspoken refers to thoughts or feelings that are implied even though they aren't voiced out loud. You and your best friends may have an unspoken assumption that you'll sit at the same cafeteria table every day at lunch. And when your parents are in bad moods, you and your sister might have an unspoken agreement that you'll take the dog for a walk together to give them some time to cool off.
Vocabulary lists containing unspoken
Power Suffix: -en
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The Flicker
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Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos
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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.
Unspoken rules like "we must see everybody" only add to the stress, as does social media pressure over what the picture-perfect Christmas Day should look like.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2025
A world premiere play, “Lion” is a stage incarnation of Seattle storyteller and historian Delbert Richardson’s American History Traveling Museum: “The Unspoken Truths” exhibit.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023
Unspoken except by James, who coined the term and used it to Sam’s face.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2023
Unspoken history — some Black people who live in the area call themselves “Affrilachians” — plays a big part in the novel.
From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2022
Unspoken words that I don’t know how to say weigh against my chest.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
