unknown
word
/ənˈnoʊn/
uhn-NOHN
/ʌnnˈəʊn/
uhn-NOHN
Definition
Not known, identified, or understood. It can describe a person, thing, cause, place, or fact that people do not know yet.
Usage & Nuances
Common in everyday, academic, and technical English. Often appears before a noun: 'unknown person', 'unknown cause'. It can also follow linking verbs: 'The result is still unknown'. Don't confuse it with 'strange' or 'unfamiliar': 'unknown' means not known, not necessarily unusual.
Spanish: desconocidoPortuguese (BR): desconhecidoPortuguese (PT): desconhecidoChinese (Simplified): 未知的 - 不知名的Chinese (Traditional): 未知的 - 不知名的Hindi: अज्ञात - अनजानArabic: مجهول - غير معروفBengali: অজানাRussian: неизвестныйJapanese: 未知Vietnamese: không xác định - chưa biếtKorean: 알려지지 않은Turkish: bilinmeyenUrdu: نامعلومIndonesian: tidak diketahui
Example Sentences
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
basic
The name of the man is unknown.
basic
They walked into an unknown city.
basic
At that point, the future was completely unknown.
natural
She prefers traveling to places that feel a little unknown.
natural
An unknown number kept calling me last night.
natural