unannounced
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything unannounced is a total surprise. If your neighbor frequently barges into your house unannounced, especially in the middle of dinner, you might want to start locking your doors. When an organization doesn't make a formal statement before doing something, it's often described as unannounced, like the unannounced change in the ingredients of your favorite soda or the unannounced delay of your flight to Hawaii. You can talk about anything unexpected using this adjective: "Their unannounced marriage ceremony took everyone at the picnic by surprise."
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.
Law firms have also been victims of overseas hackers who illegally accessed internal emails that told them about unannounced deals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Levin said the new policy effectively defeats the purpose of unannounced oversight visits.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Prince Harry's unannounced trip to Ukraine came days after he left Australia, where he and wife Meghan, both no longer working royals, had visited in a private capacity.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Jassy hinted at other unannounced contracts in the works.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
The Tower had shown up just over a year ago, totally unannounced: a five-story concrete monstrosity on a block otherwise full of brownstones.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
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.
