unidentified
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
- unidentifiable adjective
Explanation
If something is unidentified, it's mysterious or unknown, whether it's an unidentified flying object or an unidentified fruit that turns up in your grocery cart. Being unidentified means having an unknown identity, from a Latin root meaning "sameness." If you can't determine the identity of a person, like the victim of a crime or a new student at school, they're unidentified. And if your dog brings something disgusting inside, but you can't figure out what on earth it is, just call it an unidentified object and toss it in the garbage!
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.
Its pilot then flew the plane to an unidentified country and determined the aircraft was not in landable condition.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
Researchers now suggest that this cold phase may have been triggered by a major volcanic eruption in Germany or possibly an eruption from an as yet unidentified volcano.
From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026
Later that year, another unidentified woman emailed Epstein to say: "We are going now to get marriage license. And she Is asking if it's possible to meet with you? Because she has some questions."
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
According to the lawsuit, also in attendance was an unidentified entertainment attorney who had represented both men in separate matters.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
All of them, Sergeant Gordo told her, were dead and unidentified.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
