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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 Ginsburg misjudged an unknowable future; Biden failed to respond to a visible present. — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026 Yet several of the heroes feel unknowable and interchangeable, which keeps the audience at an emotional distance even as Nolan employs so many cinematic techniques in an effort to pull us closer. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 To leave the character at the center of his own story opaque, unknowable, a silhouette—would have been a different kind of dishonesty. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 Faced with something—someone—so ultimately unknowable, perhaps the best that anyone can do is decide on their own version of the truth and stick to it. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 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
  • Just below, the most ambiguous passage of the work refuses legibility altogether, blending the whites and grays of the child’s shirt with the tones of her fingers and the blue fabric of the chair behind them.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This is particularly true for limited series — or any series with ambiguous renewals.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Wei and his colleagues have proposed a new physical path to the mysterious function.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Now, IndieWire can exclusively share the poster for the studio’s first new film since 2019, which features an eye-catching image of the main character Prue and the film’s mysterious main antagonist, Alexandra.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • Homer, the enigmatic poet, still provokes and inspires us all.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Even with Peter lamenting the loss of his mentor Tony Stark, high-school high jinks keep the storytelling lighthearted, while Jake Gyllenhaal makes an over-the-top splash as enigmatic supervillain Mysterio.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 July 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Some of the details are still obscure—no law requires OpenAI to explain itself—but the basic facts are well understood.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
  • This confusion is a big reason why the once-obscure argument over the best inflation speedometer is heating up.
    — Brandy Hadley, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Horse racing's Triple Crown faces an uncertain future as leading institutions pursue divergent strategies.
    — Nicole Kraft, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The economy feels so perpetually uncertain, fragile and contradictory that shifts in any direction feel really consequential.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • Colonic hydrotherapy, which admittedly never promises to be glamorous, is unremarkable with a purpose that remains murky.
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone from Brian Fuller to LeBron James has flirted with the property over the past decade, but its big screen future continues to be murky.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • Both may help with blood sugar control and reducing calories, but their long-term health effects remain unclear.
    — Lindsey DeSoto, HEALTH, 4 Aug. 2026
  • What is unclear is how quickly Sacramento residents will begin to see the benefits of the law.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of unclear

Browse Nearby Words

unknowability
unknowable
unknowing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowable. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unknowable

Nglish: Translation of unknowable for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All