UNKNOWN Definition & Meaning

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unknown

[ uhn-nohn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

not known; not within the range of one's knowledge, experience, or understanding; strange; unfamiliar.
not discovered, explored, identified, or ascertained:
the unknown parts of Antarctica.
not widely known; not famous; obscure:
an unknown writer.

a thing, influence, area, factor, or person that is unknown:
the many unknowns in modern medicine; The director cast an unknown in the leading role.
Mathematics. a symbol representing an unknown quantity: in algebra, analysis, etc., frequently represented by a letter from the last part of the alphabet, as x, y, or z.

unknown

/ ʌ��ˈ��əʊ�� /

not known, understood, or recognized
not established, identified, or discovered
an unknown island
not famous; undistinguished
some unknown artist
unknown quantity
a person or thing whose action, effect, etc, is unknown or unpredictable

an unknown person, quantity, or thing
maths a variable, or the quantity it represents, the value of which is to be discovered by solving an equation; a variable in a conditional equation
3y = 4x + 5 is an equation in two unknowns

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Origin of unknown¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, unknown is from the Middle English word unknow(e)n. See un- ¹, known

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Examples have not been reviewed.

The exact cause of the poisoning is unknown but tests have confirmed the presence of anthrax.

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That is really the unknown question right now, Davison said, but one thing we can expect is more volatility.

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A big unknown is whether those prices will rise because of the new tariffs.

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“The reason for the crime is still unknown,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department news release said.

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Yet, for them too there are hazards, not least in the unknowns.

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