unknowable

adjective

un·​know·​able ˌən-ˈnō-ə-bəl How to pronounce unknowable (audio)
Synonyms of unknowablenext
: not knowable
especially : lying beyond the limits of human experience or understanding
unknowability
ˌən-ˌnō-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce unknowable (audio)
noun

Examples of unknowable in a Sentence

a God whose nature is unknown and unknowable
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Treating the whole thing as unknowable can become an excuse not to plan. — Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 The process gives leaders a way to put some structure around an unknowable future. — Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Curiosity about the unknowable begins masquerading as intimacy, and you can be left feeling both heartbroken and filled with self-disgust. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026 Ariana Grande, the pop star and actor, is also a person, of flesh and blood, but unknowable beyond that bare fact from the vantage of a stranger, no matter the ubiquity of her image. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unknowable

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unknowable was in the 15th century

Rhymes for unknowable

See All Rhymes for unknowable

Browse Nearby Words

unknowability
unknowable
unknowen
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Cite this Entry

“Unknowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unknowable. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

unknowable

adjective
un·​know·​able ˌən-ˈnō-ə-bəl How to pronounce unknowable (audio)
ˈən-
: not knowable
some facts in the case may remain unknowable

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