English Reference

Word

undiscovered

Phoneticsundis·cov·ered

US/ˌəndɪˈskəvɝd/

UK/ʌndɪskˈʌvəd/

Definition

adj. not found or known about by people yet. You use this to describe things like new places, people, or facts that are still a secret.

adj. not yet found, identified, or known to others. Often used to describe natural resources, species, or historical sites that remain hidden from the public.

Examples

“The island is still undiscovered by most travelers.”

“Scientists are searching for undiscovered species in the deep ocean where sunlight never reaches the floor.”

“The manuscript remained undiscovered for centuries, hidden within the private archives of a monastery until a researcher stumbled upon it during a routine inventory.”

Examples

simple

“The island is still undiscovered by most travelers.”

contextual

“Scientists are searching for undiscovered species in the deep ocean where sunlight never reaches the floor.”

complex

“The manuscript remained undiscovered for centuries, hidden within the private archives of a monastery until a researcher stumbled upon it during a routine inventory.”

Real-World Examples

“Even so, the researchers believe more unnamed species are almost certain to remain undiscovered and undescribed.”
ScienceDaily · 30 Aug 2026
“The bodies of Irish mum-of-two Thomasina Tobin and her husband lay undiscovered for more than 12 hours before their children found them in their holiday villa hot tub.”
BreakingNews.ie · 29 Aug 2026

Etymology

From un- + discovered.

From undiscover + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/undiscovered

English Reference