unconfirmed
Britishadjective
Explanation
Use the adjective unconfirmed to describe something that may or may not be true. If you've heard that there might be a pizza party at school tomorrow, but it hasn't been officially announced, it's just an unconfirmed rumor. You'll probably come across this word if you spend much a lot of time reading or listening to the news. Unconfirmed reports of a suspect running west down Main Street mean that there's been chatter about seeing this person, but no one can or establish the truth of the sighting. Unconfirmed things haven't been photographed or filmed, and they don't have an authority declaring them to be fact.
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.
There has been no direct response to the book from López Obrador, who is retired but long denied unconfirmed reports linking him to organized crime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
At least one more EV pickup could be heading our way soon, though it remains officially unconfirmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ordered all ships via radio to avoid the area, the German publication Bild reported Friday, citing unconfirmed reports.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
Ahead of the meeting, the BBC asked him about unconfirmed reports that the US could shrink its total troop numbers available in the event of an attack on a Nato country.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Rumours that a colony of Acromantula has been established in Scotland are unconfirmed.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
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.
