unbeknown
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.
un·be·known
(ŭn′bĭ-nōn′)adj.
Occurring or existing without being known; unknown: a crisis unbeknown to us.
[un- + obsolete beknown, known (from Middle English beknowen, past participle of beknowen, to get to know, from Old English becnāwan : be-, be- + cnāwan, to know; see know).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
unbeknown
(ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊn) orunbeknownst
adv
(foll by: to) without the knowledge (of a person): unbeknown to him she had left the country.
adj
rare (usually foll by: to) not known (to)
[C17: from the archaic beknown known; see be-, know]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
un•be•known
(ˌʌn bɪˈnoʊn)also un•be•knownst
(-ˈnoʊnst)adj.
unknown; without one's knowledge (usu. fol. by to).
[1630–40; un-1 + beknown (late Middle English beknowe, past participle of beknowen); see be-, known]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Adj. | 1. | unbeknown - (usually used with `to') occurring or existing without the knowledge of; "a crisis unbeknown to me"; "she had been ill for months, unbeknownst to the family" unknown - not known; "an unknown amount"; "an unknown island"; "an unknown writer"; "an unknown source" |
Adv. | 1. | unbeknown - without someone's knowledge; "unbeknownst to me, she made all the arrangements" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
unbeknown
[ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊn] unbeknownst [ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊnst] ADJ unbeknown to me → sin yo saberloCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
unbeknown
[ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊn] unbeknownst [ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊnst] advunbeknown to sb, unbeknownst to sb → à l'insu de qn
unbeknown to me → à mon insu
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
unbeknown(st)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
unbeknown
[ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊn] unbeknownst [ˌʌnbɪˈnəʊnst] adv (old) unbeknown to → all'insaputa diunbeknown to me → a mia insaputa
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995