mystery

¹ American  

[mis-tuh-ree, -tree] / ˈmɪs tə ri, -tri /

noun

• mysteries
  plural

1. anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown.

   the mysteries of nature.

2. any affair, thing, or person that presents features or qualities so obscure as to arouse curiosity or speculation.

   The masked guest is an absolute mystery to everyone.

3. a novel, short story, play, or film whose plot involves a crime or other event that remains puzzlingly unsettled until the very end.

   a mystery by Agatha Christie.

4. obscure, puzzling, or mysterious quality or character.

   the mystery of Mona Lisa's smile.

   Synonyms:

   secrecy, mystique, obscurity, ambiguity, riddle, secret, problem, puzzle, enigma

5. any truth that is unknowable except by divine revelation.

6. (in the Christian religion)

   1. a sacramental rite.

   2. Eucharist.

7. an incident or scene in connection with the life of Christ, regarded as of special significance.

   the mysteries of the Passion.

8. any of the 15 events in the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary meditated upon during the recitation of the rosary.

9. mysteries,

   1. ancient religions that admitted candidates by secret rites and rituals the meaning of which was known only to initiated worshipers.

   2. any rites or secrets known only to those initiated.

      the mysteries of Freemasonry.

   3. (in the Christian religion) the Eucharistic elements.

10. mystery play.

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mystery ² American  

[mis-tuh-ree] / ˈmɪs tə ri /

noun

Archaic.

• mysteries
  plural

1. a craft or trade.

2. a guild, as of merchants.

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mystery ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪstərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. an unexplained or inexplicable event, phenomenon, etc

2. a person or thing that arouses curiosity or suspense because of an unknown, obscure, or enigmatic quality

3. the state or quality of being obscure, inexplicable, or enigmatic

4. a story, film, etc, which arouses suspense and curiosity because of facts concealed

5. Christianity any truth that is divinely revealed but otherwise unknowable

6. Christianity a sacramental rite, such as the Eucharist, or ( when plural ) the consecrated elements of the Eucharist

7. (often plural) any of various rites of certain ancient Mediterranean religions

8. short for mystery play

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mystery ² British  

/ ˈmɪstərɪ /

noun

1. a trade, occupation, or craft

2. a guild of craftsmen

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mysteries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mystery¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English misteri(e), from Latin mystērium “a secret,” (plural) mystēria “secret rites,” from Greek mystḗrion, equivalent to mýs(tēs) “an initiate (into the Eleusinian mysteries)” + -tērion noun suffix; see also mystic)

Origin of mystery²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English misteri(e) “ministry, office; handicraft, art; guild” from Old French mistere and Medieval Latin misterium, variant of Latin ministerium ministry, confused with mystērium mystery ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A mystery is something that baffles our understanding and cannot be explained. The giant slabs of Stonehenge, remain a mystery to this day. The noun mystery comes from the Greek mysterion, meaning "secret rite or doctrine." A great synonym for secret is enigma. We use this word all the time to describe stuff we don't understand, from crop circles and UFOs to the origins of the universe and the workings of the human brain. In literature, drama, and film, a mystery is a story that centers around a crime, usually murder, which finally gets solved at the very end.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mystery mysteries

Which brings us back to the mystery beef.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Are mystery drones above US bases in England something sinister?

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

I marveled at Bunbury’s humility, but agreed with him that the mystery was far from solved.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Yet some of these systems have presented astronomers with a mystery.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

“But first things first—back to the letter,” she thought, for at the moment she was trying to solve an altogether different mystery: Had Miss Mortimer forgotten her birthday, or not?

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

"The reasons for this conservation are not well understood. It's one of the mysteries of the universe, related to why we have more matter than antimatter," she said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

One of the most enduring mysteries that has been puzzling scientists forever is how the Sun's outer atmosphere - the corona - is millions of degrees hotter than its surface.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

He entertained mass audiences so successfully that his murder mysteries, spy sagas and innocent-man-accused tales became their own genre: the Alfred Hitchcock Movie, often imitated but never equaled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

But structurally, “The Samurai and the Prisoner” revolves around a series of mysteries that unfold, one after another, over the course of about a year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

"We'll solve mysteries during the day and dance on stage at night!"

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• conundrum
• enigma
• problem
• question
• riddle
• secrecy
• subtlety
• thriller