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.
It reminded me of how he had spoken about wanting to believe in the unexplained: “We are all hunting for rational reasons for believing in the absurd.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The Rays suggested a few mechanical changes that they had identified as potential causes for his unexplained struggles in his brief tenure with the last-place Mets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Although the discovery sheds light on a previously unexplained symptom, important questions remain.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
"Anyone with fever, unusual tiredness, muscle or joint pains, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding should seek care promptly at the nearest health facility," Kenya's health ministry said.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Taken together, topics like these are known as psi, the scientific study of “processes of information or energy transfer that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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