unidentified

adjective

un·​iden·​ti·​fied ˌən-ī-ˈden-tə-ˌfīd 

-ə-ˈden-

: not having a known or established identity : not identified

unidentified flying objects

an unidentified suspect

Synonyms of unidentified

• one
• unnamed

Examples of unidentified in a Sentence

an unidentified worker reported the security breach

some unidentified person helped them and then left quietly

Recent Examples on the Web

He was seized by three unidentified men, who later headed toward the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where Islamist militants are active, Reuters news agency reported at the time, citing an unnamed diplomat. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Yonhap news agency, citing South Korea’s military, reported that North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off North Korea’s east coast. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

The science is catching up to what consumers have been smelling for decades and that science shows aroma is engineerable rather than fixed, with entire families of previously unidentified compounds still being mapped. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Fermin praised the unidentified good Samaritan who intervened. — Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unidentified

• unidentified aerial phenomenon
• unidentified anomalous phenomenon
• unidentified flying object

Rhymes for unidentified

• acetaldehyde
• acetanilide
• arabinoside
• cycloheximide
• cyclophosphamide
• diethylamide
• dinucleotide
• ferricyanide
• ferrocyanide
• glutaraldehyde
• glyceraldehyde
• hydroperoxide