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
But while cancer studies have been carried out extensively in dogs, cats have remained unexplored.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Surveying and mining under such a thick ice sheet is impossible, according to experts, leaving large areas of the territory unexplored.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
Eastward he looked into wide uncharted lands, nameless plains, and forests unexplored.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
