unseen
Americanadjective
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not seen; unperceived; unobserved; invisible.
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recognized or comprehended without prior study, as a written text or musical score.
adjective
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not observed or perceived; invisible
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(of passages of writing) not previously seen or prepared
noun
Etymology
Origin of unseen
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 10-year Bund yield reached 3.339%, unseen since 2011, and in the U.K., the 10-year gilt yield rose to 5.234%, the highest since 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
There’s a grounded, earthy lyricism to the images captured in “Esta Isla” that show a Puerto Rico that’s at once lush and entrancing but also undiscovered and unseen in cinema.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
By analyzing the stream's shape, researchers reconstructed the gravitational field of its host galaxy and used that information to determine how unseen dark matter influenced the stars' paths.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
By the time the BBC launched the cult cinema series Moviedrome in 1988, external, there was only one choice for opening night - the premiere of a previously unseen edit of The Wicker Man.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
How every corner of the place seemed touched by some unseen enchantment, shimmering just out of sight.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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.
