unknowable

[ uhn-noh-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not knowable; incapable of being known or understood.

noun

1. something that is unknowable.
2. the Unknowable, the postulated reality lying behind all phenomena but not cognizable by any of the processes by which the mind cognizes phenomenal objects.

Unknowable

¹

/ ʌnˈnəʊəbəl /

noun

1. the Unknowable
   philosophy the ultimate reality that underlies all phenomena but cannot be known

unknowable

²

/ ʌnˈnəʊəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being known or understood
2. 1. beyond human understanding
   2. ( as noun )

      the unknowable

Derived Forms

• unˈknowableness, noun
• unˈknowably, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unknowable¹

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; un- ¹, knowable

Example Sentences

How destructive his term will be remains unknowable, but his helter-skelter, vengeance-fueled approach to wielding power may have the ironic effect of impeding his ability to deliver on his more radical promises.

From Salon

Whether the "big blue" states have enough power to push back Trump's larger agenda is unknowable, but unlikely.

From Salon

Whether a different candidate might have produced a different result is unknowable, but as I’ve already suggested, this outcome was likely overdetermined by the Democratic Party’s trajectory of self-destruction.

From Salon

While it is very funny, it is also rife with melancholy, a yearning for emotional connection and a sense that people are often unknowable, most of all to themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

If truth is unknowable, that leaves room for the leader to define reality.

From Salon

Related Words

• baffling
• cryptic
• curious
• dark
• enigmatic
• inexplicable
• inscrutable
• magical
• mystical
• mystifying
• obscure
• perplexing
• puzzling
• secretive
• strange
• unknown
• weird