Meaning & use
unbeknownst
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformalliterary
Not known by a particular person; happening without someone's awareness.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb like 'be' or 'remain', and usually followed by 'to' plus a person: The change was unbeknownst to us.
Patterns
- be unbeknownst to someone
- remain unbeknownst to someone
The decision was made unbeknownst to the employees.
Her illness remained unbeknownst to her friends for months.
Unbeknownst to the public, the company had already filed for bankruptcy.
Common combinations
- unbeknownst to someone
- Unbeknownst to his parents, he had dropped out of school.
- be unbeknownst to
- The truth was unbeknownst to everyone at the time.
- remain unbeknownst to
- The details remained unbeknownst to the investigators.
- entirely unbeknownst
- The meeting took place entirely unbeknownst to me.
- unbeknownst to anyone
- Unbeknownst to anyone, she had been planning to leave.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unknown
- Use 'unknown' when something is not known by anyone; 'unbeknownst' means not known by a specific person, often with 'to'.
- unaware
- 'Unaware' describes a person who does not know something; 'unbeknownst' describes the fact or situation that is not known.
- secret
- 'Secret' means intentionally kept hidden; 'unbeknownst' simply states that someone does not know, without suggesting deliberate concealment.
Opposites
Word family
- unbeknown adjective
- A less common variant meaning the same, often used without 'to': Unbeknown to me, she had left.
Commonly confused: unbeknownst or unbeknown?
unbeknownst vs unbeknown
'Unbeknown' is a variant spelling that is also correct, but 'unbeknownst' is more common in modern English, especially in American English.
Practice
Complete the sentence: _____ to the team, the project had been cancelled.
Choose one answer.
'Unbeknownst' is the correct choice because it is followed by 'to' and means 'not known by the team'. 'Unknown' would need a different structure (e.g., 'unknown to the team' is possible but less idiomatic here). 'Unaware' describes a person, not a fact, and 'unbeknown' is a variant but less common in this exact phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unbeknownst”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.