uncharted territory

American  

[uhn-chahr-tid ter-i-tawr-ee] / ˌʌnˈtʃɑr tɪd ˈtɛr ɪˌtɔr i /

noun

1. an unfamiliar area or situation, especially one that has or seems to have no maps or guidelines.

   At that time, the American West was uncharted territory.

   We suddenly found ourselves in uncharted territory as the parents of a medically fragile child.

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Etymology

Origin of uncharted territory

First recorded in 1900–05

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

uncharted territory

Factor in today’s rates and prices, and we are almost certainly in uncharted territory — the most unaffordable U.S. real-estate market in recorded history.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

The Pike case is now in uncharted territory, as Pike is believed to be the only person to have survived an execution attempt by lethal injection.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

But all of this is uncharted territory for Congress, as Briffault explained: “The problem is, the laws have never been significantly enforced because they’ve never been violated in such an egregious way,” he said.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Howie Buffett’s appointment as chairman ushers in a new era at Berkshire, and puts the conglomerate in uncharted territory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

“Eat your raisins,” Skeezie tells him, tossing the box at him as Addie and I set off on our journey to uncharted territory: the center of the cafeteria.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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