unknown

{{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}}

noun

1 place/thing that you know nothing about

ADJECTIVE

▪ big, great

▪

What the weather will be like on the day is, as always, the great unknown.

VERB + UNKNOWN

▪ explore, face, step into, venture into

PHRASES

▪ a journey into the unknown, a leap into the unknown, a voyage into the unknown

▪

This action represents a leap into the unknown.

▪

Motherhood was for her a journey into the unknown.

▪ fear of the unknown

2 sb who is not well known

ADJECTIVE

▪ complete

▪

The championship was won by a complete unknown.

▪ relative, virtual

▪

a cast of virtual unknowns

{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}

adj.

VERBS

▪ be

▪ remain

▪

These sites remain largely unknown to the British public.

ADVERB

▪ completely, entirely, quite (BrE), totally, utterly (esp. AmE)

▪

His whereabouts were quite unknown during this period.

▪ almost, practically, virtually

▪

This drug was practically unknown in Britain.

▪ largely, mostly

▪ comparatively, relatively

▪

a comparatively unknown actor

▪

She was then still relatively unknown.

▪ as yet, currently, still

▪ heretofore (formal, esp. AmE), hitherto, previously

▪

a period of democratic development previously unknown in their country

▪ apparently

▪ otherwise

▪

He cites the works of two otherwise unknown authors.

PREPOSITION

▪ to

▪

Gold was totally unknown to their civilization.

PHRASES

▪ for parts unknown, to parts unknown

▪

She departed for parts unknown.

▪ for reasons unknown, for unknown reasons

Unknown is used with these nouns: ↑actor, actress, ↑artist, ↑cause, ↑destination, ↑fate, ↑language, ↑location, ↑number, ↑origin, ↑planet, ↑poet, ↑substance, ↑terrain, ↑territory, ↑whereabouts