unknowable

adjective

Definition of unknowablenext
as in ambiguous
not able to be known No matter how far science advances, some things about the world will always remain unknown and unknowable. If passed, this law will have unknowable consequences.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unknowable That sense of powerlessness against an unknowable, unkillable foe. — Keith Langston, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Treating the whole thing as unknowable can become an excuse not to plan. — Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 The process gives leaders a way to put some structure around an unknowable future. — Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Ariana Grande, the pop star and actor, is also a person, of flesh and blood, but unknowable beyond that bare fact from the vantage of a stranger, no matter the ubiquity of her image. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unknowable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowable
  1. ambiguous
  2. mysterious
  3. enigmatic
  4. obscure
  5. uncertain
  6. murky
  7. unclear
Adjective
  • In fact, mathematicians already know that knots of two or more links have ambiguous polynomials.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Because a decision appears to have been made in the Salvadoran case, then paused, without any public clarification, the situation is more ambiguous.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Jesse Plemons is superb as his mysterious Kenny becomes a key player in all this, and there is also exemplary work from Emma D’Arcy as Lina, Digger’s ever-faithful assistant, and Sophie Wilde who watches over the action with a keen eye.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But key details of this profound primordial transition, such as its threshold energy and density, have remained deeply mysterious.
    — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • Then come the enigmatic Moai of Easter Island and the luminous lagoons of French Polynesia.
    — Guy Bigiaoui, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Other researchers were hunting the agents online and finding traces of them on obscure message boards.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Akhtar is at his best here because the sensations remain vivid even when their significance is obscure.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • The problem of longevity possesses philosophical and practical contradictions, now heightened by the gradual disappearance of artists of Serra’s generation and the uncertain posthumous legacy of their work.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The project faces uncertain costs, a timeline that could push exports beyond 2028 and possible legal challenges.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • As the camera focused on a star player making a touchdown or a slam dunk, the faces of the fans behind them would coalesce into a colorful, murky abstraction.
    — Ryan Sullivan, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities continue to unpack the details around the harrowing incident, many of which remain murky.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • Rappers Lucki and Playboi Carti were seen in videos posted to social media, though the cause of the fight and its participants remain unclear.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The prognosis for a Tennessee woman who survived two doses of lethal injection is still unclear, according to her lawyer, who said doctors are still trying to clear the lethal drug administered during her execution attempt.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unclear

Browse Nearby Words

unknowability
unknowable
unknowing
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Cite this Entry

“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowable. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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