incognita
- noun
- /ˌɪnˈkɒɡnɪtə/
- Literature
:
incógnita
- The detective was intrigued by the case of the incognita, whose true identity was a mystery.
Examples
-
His majesty requests an audience with the princess incognita.
-
And for tonight, you are a princess-- the princess incognita.
-
Um, the young lady arrived incognita but must obviously be of some consequence.
-
Her highness the princess... incognita.
-
Given the suspicion of Western investors toward unorthodox forms of ownership, especially in the terra incognita of Eastern Europe, modified Thatcherist strategies also militate against employee buyouts of major enterprises on a significant scale.
Academic text (1991) -
The mysterious woman walked through the crowd, known only as incognita.
-
At the masquerade ball, she attended as incognita, hiding her identity behind a mask.
Synonyms
5
4.9
A name used for an unknown woman often in hospitals or police reports
A person who hides their identity to avoid being recognized
Compounds
How Unknown
- Literature
1
1.0
Surface Forms
Etymology
Incognita comes from Latin parts in- 'not' and cognita 'known', the same idea you see in 'recognize'. It was used for a woman whose name or identity was hidden, so today an incognita means a person whose identity is unknown or kept secret.