unexplored
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything that's unexplored hasn't been discovered or investigated. The vast majority of the ocean is still unexplored. Unexplored is formed by adding the prefix un-, or "not, " to explored, which has a Latin root that means "investigate or search out." You can describe literal uncharted territory this way, like the parts of Antarctica that are so cold that humans haven't yet ventured there. It's also a good word for anything that hasn't been experienced or looked into: "I've brought my lunch every day, so the cafeteria food remains totally unexplored!"
Vocabulary lists containing unexplored
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.
As Ms. Johnson’s superb research reveals, little in the civilization of mid-19th-century New York was left unexplored by Church.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
The country’s large rare-metals deposits are still largely unexplored due to a lack of capital and expertise.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026
Suggesting the scale of the unexplored files on Andrew, one rejection said that one year of his time as trade envoy would mean going through 1,927 digital files, each containing multiple pieces of information.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026
These frozen environments may contain vast stores of genetic material that have gone largely unexplored.
From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026
It is our rudder too, essential for the ship’s orientation in the dark of space, to find our way through this unexplored part of the cosmic ocean.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
