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.
At times, she read “unidentified man” or “four unidentified women.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The US said "unidentified remains" had been found, with verification of the remains ongoing.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In fact, an analysis that Lilly previously conducted found that adding vitamin B-12 to compounded Zepbound created a “previously unidentified impurity.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
He will begin his visit at the cemetery, where unidentified migrants are buried in numbered graves.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
According to arresting officers, the incident started when an unidentified man made a proposal to one of the women.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
