unseen

American  

[uhn-seen] / ʌnˈsin /

adjective

1. not seen; unperceived; unobserved; invisible.

2. recognized or comprehended without prior study, as a written text or musical score.

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unseen British  

/ ʌnˈsiːn /

adjective

1. not observed or perceived; invisible

2. (of passages of writing) not previously seen or prepared

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noun

1. a passage, not previously seen, that is presented to students for translation

unseen Idioms  

1. see sight unseen.

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Etymology

Origin of unseen

1150–1200; Middle English unsene, unsehene; see un- ¹, seen

Explanation

Unseen things are either not noticed or hidden from view, like the unseen subway conductor whose muffled voice you hear making announcements about train delays. If your goal is to be unseen as you sneak in late to your cousin's wedding, you're hoping that no one observes you. Other things are unseen simply because it's not possible to see them: "She was aware of the ghost as a chilly presence in the room, although it remained unseen." The adjective unseen is formed by adding the prefix un-, "not," to seen.

Example Sentences

From design prototypes of its biggest products to early patents, Apple’s CEO gave us an intimate look at unseen items that help tell the story of 50 years of company history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

There are hours of unseen interview footage as well.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

They found that standard methods for producing entangled photons can contain previously unseen topological structures.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

But it’s really the work of data centers churning through prompts and interpreting them in an elaborate and expensive, if unseen, process.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Penelope imagined she heard, not far off, the quiet breathing of a thirteenth, unseen and uninvited, guest.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• imaginary
• imagined
• invisible
• lurking
• undetected
• undiscovered
• unnoticed