unannounced
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything unannounced is a total surprise. If your neighbor frequently barges into your house unannounced, especially in the middle of dinner, you might want to start locking your doors. When an organization doesn't make a formal statement before doing something, it's often described as unannounced, like the unannounced change in the ingredients of your favorite soda or the unannounced delay of your flight to Hawaii. You can talk about anything unexpected using this adjective: "Their unannounced marriage ceremony took everyone at the picnic by surprise."
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.
His pick for finance minister, still unannounced, may well determine how left-wing or centrist his economic agenda is.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
In an unannounced inspection, external it found three critical, six major and one minor shortfalls against its standards at the two hospitals run by the trust, the QMC and City Hospital.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
When FDA inspectors showed up unannounced at the farm, it complied with an investigation.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
WSJ did the math on why the anticipated but as yet unannounced iPhone 18 Pro could cost $1,299.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Federal agents terrified staffers by showing up unannounced at their homes in Hampton and Newport News, ringing the doorbell in the evenings to ask questions.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
