unrecognized
Britishadjective
-
not recognized or identified
hitherto unrecognized planets
-
not given formal acknowledgment of legal status
the unrecognized Communist Workers' Party
Explanation
Anything that has been overlooked or that hasn't been noticed before is unrecognized. Your brother may insist that his unrecognized singing talent will make him famous some day, despite the fact that he can barely carry a tune. Things that simply haven't been discovered yet are unrecognized, like an unrecognized case of pneumonia that doctors initially diagnosed as a bad cold. And qualities that aren't given the proper amount of attention are also unrecognized. It wasn't until your soccer coach had you sub in for an injured forward that she discovered your unrecognized talent for playing offense.
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.
A couple of these vertebrae have now turned up, having apparently sat on a shelf unrecognized for decades.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Penn State researchers have now identified a previously unrecognized structure that may control much of this activity.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
It remains to be seen whether “Kitchen Undercover” will rely on prosthetics, fake mustaches or merely the subtler costume of the unrecognized employee.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Oakley said the lengthy time needed to normalize the energy market after the Iran war is still going unrecognized on Wall Street.
From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026
The beetles, at first unrecognized, were finally identified as a common inhabitant of the main islands of Japan.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
