ENGLISH
REFERENCE

unidentified

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌənaɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪd// UK //ˌʌnaɪdˈɛntɪfˌaɪd// uniden·ti·fied

adj. not recognized or known. You use this to describe something that has been seen but nobody knows exactly what it is or who it belongs to.

adj. not recognized or having no established identity. Often used in official, forensic, or scientific contexts to describe objects, persons, or substances whose origins remain unknown.


SIMPLE

The police found an unidentified car parked in the driveway.

CONTEXTUAL

A small, unidentified object was seen flying over the coast, prompting a brief investigation by the local authorities.

COMPLEX

The museum's basement contains several unidentified fragments of pottery that likely date back to the late Bronze Age, though their exact provenance remains a mystery to researchers.

Synonyms
Origin

From un- + identified.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun.

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