unknowable

adjective

Definition of unknowablenext
as in ambiguous
not able to be known No matter how far science advances, some things about the world will always remain unknown and unknowable. If passed, this law will have unknowable consequences.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unknowable Ginsburg misjudged an unknowable future; Biden failed to respond to a visible present. — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026 Yet several of the heroes feel unknowable and interchangeable, which keeps the audience at an emotional distance even as Nolan employs so many cinematic techniques in an effort to pull us closer. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 To leave the character at the center of his own story opaque, unknowable, a silhouette—would have been a different kind of dishonesty. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 Faced with something—someone—so ultimately unknowable, perhaps the best that anyone can do is decide on their own version of the truth and stick to it. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unknowable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowable
  1. ambiguous
  2. mysterious
  3. enigmatic
  4. obscure
  5. uncertain
  6. murky
  7. unclear
Adjective
  • But that was ambiguous enough for some overeager follow-up reports to mistake the book for the kill-and-tell that many had always assumed Finke would eventually write.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Worse than that, real-world sensor data is often so ambiguous, incomplete, and riddled with noise that the only way to describe it is borderline chaotic.
    — David Szondy August 11, New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • But when they’re interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious beige van — the same one viewers may have spotted in the preceding episodes — Bret uses the opportunity to ask Terry to take him home.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Final Invasion begins when a mysterious UAP satellite crashes in the New Mexico desert.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • Joe is mostly effective as an enigmatic protagonist bordering on an unreliable narrator.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Her conversation consisted primarily of declarations, some more enigmatic than others.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • In this series, Christopher Goffard revisits old crimes in Los Angeles and beyond, from the famous to the forgotten, the consequential to the obscure, diving into archives and the memories of those who were there.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sure, there are way too many people asking for drawings of obscure anime characters that are nearly impossible to pull off with the bare-bones MS-Paint-like tool in two-and-a-half minutes.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • While the exact timing and intensity of the impacts are still uncertain and will ultimately depend on how close Lala tracks to the Hawaiian islands, heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf impacts are likely this weekend.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Why would a promising young researcher accept a faculty offer of $120,000 with uncertain employment prospects when a technology company or defense contractor offers $180,000 on the first day?
    — Francisco Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncertain
Adjective
  • But in the world of online streaming, the business of running a record label or record label business has gotten a lot murkier.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Its other requirements for induction, however, are a bit murky.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • The executive order does not set a deadline for the committee to submit its recommendations, leaving it unclear when a temporary board could be seated.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Even if debris completely burns up during reentry, the effect of so much metal and other aerospace materials being dumped into our planet’s fragile upper atmosphere is unclear.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of unclear

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unknowability
unknowable
unknowing
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Cite this Entry

“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowable. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of unknowable for Spanish Speakers

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