unknown
Americanadjective
-
not known; not within the range of one's knowledge, experience, or understanding; strange; unfamiliar.
-
not discovered, explored, identified, or ascertained.
the unknown parts of Antarctica.
-
not widely known; not famous; obscure.
an unknown writer.
noun
-
a thing, influence, area, factor, or person that is unknown.
the many unknowns in modern medicine; The director cast an unknown in the leading role.
-
Mathematics. a symbol representing an unknown quantity: in algebra, analysis, etc., frequently represented by a letter from the last part of the alphabet, as x, y, or z.
adjective
-
not known, understood, or recognized
-
not established, identified, or discovered
an unknown island
-
not famous; undistinguished
some unknown artist
-
a person or thing whose action, effect, etc, is unknown or unpredictable
noun
-
an unknown person, quantity, or thing
-
maths a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation; a variable in a conditional equation
3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns
Other Word Forms
- unknownness noun
Etymology
Origin of unknown
First recorded in 1250–1300, unknown is from the Middle English word unknow(e)n. See un- 1, 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.
Without his knowing it, everything he sees and hears is uploaded to an unknown party, in an unknown place, as if he were a living pair of smart glasses.
From Los Angeles Times
Restorations of unknown date have resulted in the exposure of under drawing in certain areas, like the drapery of Salome, and a blurring of the line distinguishing the Virgin’s pillow from the gilded ground.
It is unknown how much he splashed out for the 400,000-acre property.
From MarketWatch
It also gave researchers the opportunity to observe its behavior and investigate aspects of its natural history that were previously unknown.
From Science Daily
There are still crucial unknowns - there isn't a definitive explanation of why the connections between neurons, called synapses, are lost in Alzheimer's.
From BBC
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.
