unexplored
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything that's unexplored hasn't been discovered or investigated. The vast majority of the ocean is still unexplored. Unexplored is formed by adding the prefix un-, or "not, " to explored, which has a Latin root that means "investigate or search out." You can describe literal uncharted territory this way, like the parts of Antarctica that are so cold that humans haven't yet ventured there. It's also a good word for anything that hasn't been experienced or looked into: "I've brought my lunch every day, so the cafeteria food remains totally unexplored!"
Vocabulary lists containing unexplored
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.
"They travelled to completely unexplored regions to conduct surveys, without the positioning tools we have today."
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
This is an avenue that Fagan leaves completely unexplored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Published in Physical Review Letters, the research introduces fresh calculations that point to a previously unexplored process in which so-called stochastic gravitational waves could give rise to dark matter.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2026
There are still options unexplored in the search for a way to shock England back to form.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
Another almost unexplored area is the question of interactions between chemicals, a question that becomes especially urgent when they enter the marine environment where so many different minerals are subjected to mixing and transport.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
