Meaning & use
unbeknownst
Happening or existing without a particular person's knowledge.
See it in a sentence
Unbeknownst to her roommates, she had already accepted a job in another city.
The two companies had been negotiating a merger, unbeknownst to their employees.
A note on using this word
Unbeknownst is almost always followed by 'to' plus a person, and it belongs to formal or literary style.
Words with a similar meaning
unknown
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unbeknownst”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.