unseen
gb/ʌnsˈin/ us/ʌnsˈin/
B1
English
~ 5000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Not seen or noticed
Not seen by anyone or not noticed.
Usage pattern:
[something] is unseen
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'unseen' with 'invisible'. 'Unseen' can mean simply not looked at or noticed, while 'invisible' usually means impossible to see physically.
Synonyms
invisible (Implies something cannot be seen due to being hidden or beyond visibility, often more absolute than 'unseen'.)
|
unnoticed (Focuses on not being observed rather than physically hidden.)
Antonyms
visible (Can be seen with the eyes.)
|
noticed (Has been observed or recognized.)
Collocations
remain unseen
|go unseen
|previously unseen
|largely unseen
|virtually unseen
Themes
perception
|vision
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The thief entered the house unseen.
- Her hard work often goes unseen by her colleagues.
- The tiny insect was unseen until it moved.
- He slipped out of the room unseen.
- The error remained unseen for months.
Learner examples
- The cat ran unseen under the table.
- He left the party unseen.
- The small mark went unseen by the teacher.
- She walked unseen through the crowd.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Something not previously seen
A piece of work, like a text or exam, that you have not seen before.
Usage pattern:
an unseen [text/passage/test]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'unseen' as a noun can refer to any object they have never seen, but in education it usually means a prepared but unfamiliar text or task.
Synonyms
unknown (General term for something not known before; less specific to visual experience.)
Antonyms
familiar (Already known or recognized from experience.)
Collocations
unseen passage
|unseen text
|unseen exam
|unseen task
Themes
education
|reading
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The students were given an unseen poem to analyze.
- In the exam, you will have to translate an unseen passage.
- We practiced with several unseen texts before the test.
Learner examples
- The teacher gave us an unseen story to read.
- We must answer questions about an unseen text.
- In the exam, there is an unseen passage.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unseen
IPA
GB/ʌnsˈin/
US/ʌnsˈin/
Syllables & stress
un - seen (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (seen)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unseen
Word family
Related words
visible
adjective A2
visibility
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
invisible
adjective A2
Advanced or less common
invisibility
noun
sightless
adjective
Expressions
go unseen
1/ɡˈoʊ ʌnsˈin/
fixed phrase
Not be noticed or observed
To not be noticed or looked at by anyone.
Examples
- Her efforts often go unseen by management.
- The small changes went unseen during the review.
previously unseen
1/pɹˈiviəsli ʌnsˈin/
fixed phrase
Not seen before now
Not seen before this time.
Examples
- The documentary showed previously unseen footage of the event.
- Scientists discovered a previously unseen species of insect.
remain unseen
1/ɹɪmˈeɪn ʌnsˈin/
fixed phrase
Continue to be not visible/unnoticed
To stay in a state where no one can see or notice you/it.
Examples
- The rare bird remained unseen for years.
- The problem remained unseen until it was too late.