UNKNOWABLE Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

unknowable

adjective

Definition of unknowable

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 In the mid-2000s, Kate Moss was the last of a generation of celebrities who could be simultaneously ubiquitous and unknowable. — Raven Smith, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026 But where John Steinbeck’s novel and the 1955 film made by Kazan’s grandfather Elia Kazan render her as a cipher, the embodiment of an unknowable evil, the Netflix version gives her far more texture and context. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 In its own way, this novel too experiments with our ability to connect with the unknowable. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 Man is an unknowable creature, and few things unsettle it more than forcing it to live within its mystery. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unknowable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowable

Adjective

Jones, Cullen and Locke are pleased to hear how effective the ambiguous ending to Black Church Bay is.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
That’s a question for next season, but their flirtation has been built around Sid’s ambiguous motives from the beginning.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

Swamped by allegations of fraud, the actions of the company and its enigmatic CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, shone a harsh light on problems with scientific start-ups.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
That's especially prevalent in the Oversized Graphic T-Shirt with enigmatic dates on the back -- those are already causing a stir in the fan community.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of enigmatic

Adjective

But Sung, Bennett and Miller stayed his order, finding that the California deployment could go forward under an obscure and virtually untested subsection of the law.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The area sits within the Lake Superior clay plain, where the surrounding soil is largely composed of clay, which can make the water murky and obscure objects beneath the surface.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

Those assumptions can be quite uncertain when designing an entirely new study.

— Mark Louie F. Ramos, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
Specialists recommend seeking a second opinion from a neurologist who specializes in MS when a diagnosis is uncertain, particularly before starting medications that affect the immune system.

— Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncertain

Adjective

Of course, some situations are murkier than a stranger breezing past the entire queue.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
The legal position of the Hope Florida grand jury report, already widely reported but also expunged by an appellate court, grew murkier Tuesday amid a multi-pronged effort to prohibit any publication of the document.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of murky

Adjective

In May 2025, NPR reported, citing two sources with direct knowledge, that Holmes had been advising Evans from prison, though the nature of that advice was unclear.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
How that list would be compiled, and by whom, and under what criteria, was left unclear.

— Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of unclear

Browse Nearby Words

unknowability

unknowable

unknowing

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Style

“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowable. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unknowable

adjective

Example Sentences

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