unknown

adjective
UK: /ʌnˈnəʊn/
US: /ʌnˈnoʊn/

  1. Not known or familiar.

    1. The man was unknown to me. [ ] [ ]
    2. The exact number of unknown species remains a topic of scientific investigation. [ ] [ ]

  2. Not discovered, explored, or fully understood.

    1. The path ahead was unknown. [ ] [ ]
    2. The long-term effects of the medication are still relatively unknown to the doctors. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

unfamiliar obscure unidentified unrecognized undiscovered mysterious
unknown noun

  1. A person who is not famous or known to the public.

    1. He was an unknown actor then. [ ] [ ]
    2. She started as an unknown, but quickly gained recognition for her talent. [ ] [ ]

  2. Something that is not known or understood.

    1. The future is an unknown. [ ] [ ]
    2. There are still many unknowns about the cause of the disease and its spread. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "unknown" in English means: Not known or familiar., Not discovered, explored, or fully understood..

The phonetic transcription of "unknown" is /ʌnˈnəʊn/ in British English and /ʌnˈnoʊn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "unknown": unfamiliar, obscure, unidentified, unrecognized, undiscovered, mysterious.

Example usage of "unknown": "The man was unknown to me.". More examples on the page.