unidentified
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
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.
Reports of unidentified Prionus larvae damaging blueberry roots date back to 2010, but researchers had struggled to determine which species was responsible.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Two vessels were struck by unidentified projectiles off Saudi Arabia and Oman on Monday, according to U.K.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
In January, an unidentified hiker was found on the north face of Mt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
South Korea's Yonhap news agency also reported, citing an unidentified government source, that Kim had arrived in the northeastern Chinese city "earlier in the day".
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
“The bodies of unidentified women are being held at Yankee Stadium,” the voice continued.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
