unseen
Americanadjective
-
not seen; unperceived; unobserved; invisible.
-
recognized or comprehended without prior study, as a written text or musical score.
adjective
-
not observed or perceived; invisible
-
(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.
Interest in the expedition prompted New Zealand's Air Force Museum to publish, external previously unseen reconnaissance images of Nikumaroro on Friday.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Einstein Probe's wide-field soft X-ray monitoring has now exposed this previously unseen stage, giving astronomers a direct look at the opening moments of a short GRB.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
We’re witnessing the power of pure art, even as Rock cleverly waters down the moment with the sound of an unseen bartender rattling a martini shaker in the background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The benchmark refining margin is at unseen levels of around $40 a barrel, which, coupled with trading, will drive downstream earnings, she adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Penelope imagined she heard, not far off, the quiet breathing of a thirteenth, unseen and uninvited, guest.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
