# unseen

/ənˈsin/ (US) · /ʌnsˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unseen
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not seen or noticed

adjective · CEFR B2

not seen, noticed, or discovered by anyone.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. unprepared exam task

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Academic

a piece of writing or music that you must translate or perform without seeing it before the exam.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The thief moved through the house unseen.
- The security cameras failed to capture the intruder, who managed to remain unseen by staying in the shadows.
- The novel explores the unseen labor of the working class, highlighting the essential roles that often go unacknowledged by the broader society.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.