unbeknown
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unbeknown
1630–40; un- 1 + beknown ( late Middle English beknowe, past participle of beknowen ); see be-, known
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.
These were simple concepts to understand, but unbeknown to almost everybody for generations, they might have been flawed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
On Wednesday, an exclusive group of 10 or so Paul Weiss partners met unbeknown to their longtime chairman, Brad Karp, to discuss whether he could continue to lead the law firm.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
So how did the Earwigs gain this unlikely cult following unbeknown to its founding member?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2025
"My brother was driving his car for weeks upon weeks unbeknown to him that his body was slowly being poisoned with a very deadly silent killer."
From BBC • May 10, 2025
We were waiting for Mr. Mwakangale of the Tanganyika African National Union, a member of Parliament, and unbeknown to us he had already called looking for us.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
