Unbeknownst Meaning in English
word
ənbiˈnoʊnst
uhn-bee-NOHNST
ʌnbɪnˈəʊnst
un-bin-OHNST
Definition
Happening or existing without someone knowing; used to describe something that occurs without a person’s awareness.
Usage & Nuances
Somewhat formal and old-fashioned in American English; commonly found in writing rather than speech. Usually followed by 'to' (e.g., 'unbeknownst to me'). Not to be confused with 'unknown,' which means 'not known at all'.
Spanish: sin que sepa - sin que lo sepaPortuguese (BR): sem que saiba - sem o conhecimento dePortuguese (PT): sem que saiba - sem o conhecimento deChinese (Simplified): 在…不知情的情况下Chinese (Traditional): 在…不知情的情況下Hindi: अज्ञात रूप से - बिना जानेArabic: دون علمBengali: অজান্তে - অজ্ঞাতসারেRussian: неведомо - без ведомаJapanese: 知らぬ間に - 気づかないうちにVietnamese: không hay biếtKorean: 모르는 사이에 - 알지 못하게Turkish: habersizce - bilmedenUrdu: بے خبرIndonesian: tanpa sepengetahuan - tanpa disadari
Example Sentences
Unbeknownst to her, her friends planned a surprise party.
basic
The cat entered the room unbeknownst to anyone.
basic
Unbeknownst to John, his wallet was missing.
basic
Unbeknownst to me, they'd already finished the project.
natural
Unbeknownst to the staff, the boss was watching from the next room.
natural
He left the documents on the train, unbeknownst to him.
natural