unspoken
Americanadjective
-
implied or understood without being spoken or uttered.
-
not addressed (usually followed byto ).
-
not talking; silent.
adjective
-
understood without needing to be spoken; tacit
-
not uttered aloud
Etymology
Origin of unspoken
First recorded in 1325–75, unspoken is from the Middle English word unspokyn. See un- 1, spoken
Explanation
Anything you don't say aloud is unspoken, especially if its meaning is understood anyway. Even though it's not officially allowed, there may be an unspoken understanding that high school seniors will skip school on a certain spring day. The adjective unspoken refers to thoughts or feelings that are implied even though they aren't voiced out loud. You and your best friends may have an unspoken assumption that you'll sit at the same cafeteria table every day at lunch. And when your parents are in bad moods, you and your sister might have an unspoken agreement that you'll take the dog for a walk together to give them some time to cool off.
Vocabulary lists containing unspoken
Power Suffix: -en
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The Flicker
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Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos
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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.
I wonder whether there’s an unspoken rule that friendship with people like this comes with an obligation to live like them.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Regardless of what station they work for, reporters and pilots are constantly helping each other, abiding by unspoken rules to keep each other safe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
For families in which trauma remains unspoken, silence can become a pattern, one that risks extending across generations.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
Professor Inger Brodey alleged that the school’s hiring was marred by “improprieties, slander, vindictiveness and manipulation” and accused Mr. Atkins of hiring “candidates who conform to unspoken, homogenous, ideological criteria.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Not unlike the unspoken messages between Father and Grandpa.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
