unseen

American  

[uhn-seen] / ʌnˈsin /

adjective

1. not seen; unperceived; unobserved; invisible.

2. recognized or comprehended without prior study, as a written text or musical score.

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unseen British  

/ ʌnˈsiːn /

adjective

1. not observed or perceived; invisible

2. (of passages of writing) not previously seen or prepared

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noun

1. a passage, not previously seen, that is presented to students for translation

unseen Idioms  

1. see sight unseen.

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Etymology

Origin of unseen

1150–1200; Middle English unsene, unsehene; see un- ¹, seen

Explanation

Unseen things are either not noticed or hidden from view, like the unseen subway conductor whose muffled voice you hear making announcements about train delays. If your goal is to be unseen as you sneak in late to your cousin's wedding, you're hoping that no one observes you. Other things are unseen simply because it's not possible to see them: "She was aware of the ghost as a chilly presence in the room, although it remained unseen." The adjective unseen is formed by adding the prefix un-, "not," to seen.

Example Sentences

Cats slip in and out of their miniature palazzo, vanishing and reappearing as if through unseen doors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

An unseen chorus acts like another orchestral element, echoing the singers and amplifying the music’s insidious power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

But history is the unseen guest at every table; the country remains haunted by the memory of the hyperinflation that devastated the economy in the 1920s and helped propel the Nazis to power.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

I was prepared for that one, as a fellow theatergoer nearby let out a soft yelp when the unseen gestures first arrived above their head.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

It’d just be a matter of looking in an unseen place.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• imaginary
• imagined
• invisible
• lurking
• undetected
• undiscovered
• unnoticed