Word
unseen
Phoneticsun·seen, stress on the second syllable
US/ənˈsin/
UK/ʌnsˈiːn/
Definitions
01not seen or noticed
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not seen, noticed, or discovered by anyone.
adj. not observed, perceived, or discovered; existing or happening without being seen.
“The cameras were hidden so that the birds could live their lives unseen.”
“The virus spread through the population unseen for weeks before the first patients began showing clinical symptoms.”
02unprepared exam task
C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English · Academic
n. a piece of writing or music that you must translate or perform without seeing it before the exam.
n. a passage of text, music, or other material that a student has not previously studied, provided for sight translation or analysis in an examination.
“I am nervous about the Latin unseen because the vocabulary is always difficult.”
“The final examination consists of two three-hour papers, the first of which is a challenging unseen from a late-period Greek historian.”
Usage
Often used as a countable noun in the context of classical or modern language degrees.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“But apart from some papers that are dutifully waved around, any work that would have gone into this deal goes unseen.” “This is the unseen cost of a trade war.” Etymology
From Middle English unsen, unseyn, unseien, from Old English unġesewen, from Proto-Germanic *unsewanaz, equivalent to un- + seen. Cognate with Dutch ongezien (“unseen”), German Low German unsehn (“unseen”), German ungesehen (“unseen”).
From un- + seen.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. sight unseen
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/unseen