Word
unbeknownst
Phoneticsun·be·knownst
US/ənbiˈnoʊnst/
UK/ʌnbɪnˈəʊnst/
Definition
adj. something that happens without someone knowing about it. You use this to describe a secret or a hidden fact that someone is not aware of.
adj. something that occurs or exists without the knowledge of a specific person. Typically used in the prepositional phrase 'unbeknownst to' followed by a noun phrase.
Examples
“Unbeknownst to the team, the game was cancelled.”
“Unbeknownst to the local residents, the city council had already approved the new development project.”
“Unbeknownst to the protagonist, the seemingly minor decision to take a different route home would set in motion a series of events that would change his life forever.”
Examples
simple
“Unbeknownst to the team, the game was cancelled.”
contextual
“Unbeknownst to the local residents, the city council had already approved the new development project.”
complex
“Unbeknownst to the protagonist, the seemingly minor decision to take a different route home would set in motion a series of events that would change his life forever.”
Real-World Examples
“Unbeknownst to me until I began research for this article, all platforms other than those running Windows store passkeys locally on the device.” “Unbeknownst to the incoming vessels, the British had already handed the American general the ships and mariners he needed to capture those resources.” Etymology
Variant of unbeknown with excrescent -st.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/unbeknownst