unknown

¹un·known

adjective \-ˈnōn\

Definition of UNKNOWN

: not known or not well-known; also : having an unknown value <an unknown quantity>

Examples of UNKNOWN

1. a disease of unknown cause
2. Much remains unknown about his early life.
3. Her music was previously unknown outside of Asia.
4. An unknown number of cases go unreported.
5. The victim's attacker was unknown to her.
6. For some unknown reason, my computer crashed.
7. a book of unknown poems

First Known Use of UNKNOWN

14th century

Related to UNKNOWN

Synonyms

unbeknownst (also unbeknown)

Antonyms

familiar, hackneyed, old, time-honored, tired, warmed-over

Related Words

unperceived, unrecognized, unsuspected; unaware, unconscious, unmindful; unknowing, unsuspecting, unwitting; ignorant, unacquainted, unfamiliar

Near Antonyms

conventional, established, traditional, tried, tried-and-true; derivative, imitative

Rhymes with UNKNOWN

agon, aitchbone, alone, atone, backbone, Bastogne, bemoan, Big Stone, birthstone, Blackstone, bloodstone, bluestone, bondstone, Boulogne, breastbone, bridge loan, brimstone, brownstone, call loan, calzone, Capone, capstone, cell phone, cheekbone, chinbone, cogon, cologne, Cologne, colon, colón, Colón, condone, copestone, corn pone, curbstone, cyclone, daimon, dapsone, debone, depone, dethrone, dial tone, disown, Dordogne, downzone, dripstone, drop zone, drystone, earphone, earth tone, end zone, enthrone, estrone, fieldstone, firestone, Firestone, flagstone, flowstone, flyblown, footstone, freestone, free zone, full-blown, gallstone, gemstone, Gijón, goldstone, gravestone, greenstone, grindstone, hailstone, halftone, handblown, hard stone, headphone, headstone, hearthstone, high-flown, hip bone, homegrown, hormone, hornstone, impone, ingrown, inkstone, in stone, intone, jawbone, jewel tone, keystone, León, leone, life zone, limestone, lodestone, long bone, Maidstone, milestone, millstone, moonstone, mudstone, nose cone, oilstone, orgone, ozone, pay phone, peptone, pinbone, pinecone, piñon, pipestone, postpone, potstone, propone, redbone, red zone, rhinestone, sandstone, shade-grown, shinbone, siltstone, snow cone, soapstone, splint bone, strike zone, T-bone, tailbone, thighbone, time zone, toadstone, tombstone, touchstone, touch-tone, tritone, trombone, turnstone, twelve-tone, two-tone, Tyrone, unthrone, war zone, well-known, whalebone, wheel-thrown, whetstone, windblown, wishbone, Yangon

²unknown

noun

Definition of UNKNOWN

1

: one that is not known or not well-known; especially : a person who is little known (as to the public)

2

: something that requires discovery, identification, or clarification: as

a : a symbol (as x, y, or z) in a mathematical equation representing an unknown quantity

b : a specimen (as of bacteria or mixed chemicals) required to be identified as an exercise in appropriate laboratory techniques

Examples of UNKNOWN

1. explorers venturing off into the unknown
2. A fear of the unknown kept her from changing jobs.
3. The director cast an unknown in the lead role.
4. We're facing too many unknowns.

First Known Use of UNKNOWN

1597