unnamed
/'ʌn'neimd/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not having a name; not identified by a name: Used to describe a person, place, thing, or source that is not given or known by a specific name.
- Anonymous; of unknown identity: Refers to something whose specific identity is withheld or is not publicly known.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The donation came from an unnamed benefactor. (The person who gave the money is not publicly identified by name.)
- The report cites several unnamed officials. (The officials mentioned in the report are not named.)
- The victim in the case remains unnamed for legal reasons. (The name of the victim is not disclosed.)
Advanced Usage
- "the unnamed": Used as a collective noun to refer to a group of anonymous people or things.
- The story pays tribute to the unnamed who built this city. (The story honors the anonymous people who constructed the city.)
- In formal or literary contexts, it can imply a sense of mystery, obscurity, or deliberate anonymity.
- A feeling of dread came from the unnamed darkness. (The fear originated from a dark place that was not specified or identified.)
Variants and Related Words
- Unnameable (adj): Incapable of being named or described, often due to being too awful or extraordinary.
- He felt an unnameable terror.
- Nameless (adj): Very similar to "unnamed," meaning having no name or an unknown name. It can also imply being too horrible to name.
- A nameless grave. (A grave without an identified name on it.)
- Anonymous (adj): Of unknown name or origin; lacking individuality.
- An anonymous letter.
Synonyms
- Anonymous: Of unknown name.
- Unidentified: Not recognized or established.
- Nameless: Having no name.
- Incognito: Having one's true identity concealed.
Antonyms
- Named: Having a specified name.
- Identified: Recognized or established.
- Famous: Known about by many people.
Related Phrases and Usage Notes
- "Sources unnamed": A common journalistic phrase indicating that the information comes from people who are not being named publicly.
- According to sources unnamed, the meeting concluded early.
- The word is typically used attributively (before a noun: ) rather than predicatively (after a linking verb). It is less common to say "The source was unnamed," though it is grammatically possible.
Adjective
- being or having an unknown or unnamed source
- a poem by an unknown author
- corporations responsible to nameless owners
- an unnamed donor