unseen
41
5.1
- adjective
- /ʌnˈsiːn/
- And now the field is making odd patterns as if something unseen were moving through.
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Watch on YouTubeAnd so, you know, these are not, you know, these are sometimes the unseen consequences of policy.
- And so, you know, these are not, you know, these are sometimes the unseen consequences of policy.
- It's it's the classic Bastiat seen versus unseen.
Examples
-
The team faced many unseen challenges during the project that complicated our efforts.
-
And so, you know, these are not, you know, these are sometimes the unseen consequences of policy.
-
What path they had taken to reach the mountaintop unseen, no one knew.
Fiction book (1990) -
Justin feels a lot of pressure, a lot of unseen pressure, to keep outdoing himself.
-
However, even apparently clear review questions can spawn multiple unseen difficulties.
Academic text (2013) -
One random comment or unseen event can instantly affect the children's attentiveness, focus, or mood.
Academic text (2015) -
Ever since we've appointed him our director of security, he's been quite successful in warding off this unseen enemy.
-
She noticed the unseen effects of her actions only after reflecting on the situation.
-
Unseen factors often influence our decisions without us realizing it.
Synonyms
394
2.5
Happening without warning
319
2.7
Not easy for other people to notice
63
2.5
Other people do not see or pay attention to it
56
4.5
Coming without telling anyone first
43
4.6
Not found or noticed by others
34
4.7
Not expected to happen
25
4.0
Not yet found or known by people
23
4.0
People do not notice it when it is important
11
5.8
Happening suddenly without warning
5
5.2
Not seen or noticed by anyone
4
4.8
Easy to see but not noticed because it looks ordinary
3
4.2
Not known or noticed by other people
3
7.0
Not thought of before or expected
2
5.3
Not known or expected to be there
2
4.6
Hard to see or notice
1
5.1
Happening when no one expects it
1
8.0
Not expected and coming as a surprise
1
7.4
Happening suddenly without warning
1
7.8
Hard to notice or understand at first
1
8.2
Other people do not notice someone or something
1
7.9
No one expects it before it happens
1
9.9
Not usual or expected in a situation
1
6.7
Not noticed or given any attention
1
7.4
No one knows what it is
1
9.9
Not seen or noticed by anyone
1
8.4
Too small to be seen, heard, or noticed
1
8.3
Seen by only a few people
1
9.1
Not understood or noticed by most people
1
8.1
Hard to see or notice
Not seen or noticed
Antonyms
Idioms
How Expected
Surface Forms
Morphology
unseen = seen (transparent) = un + seen
A straightforward negation by productive prefix 'un-' applied to 'seen', so the meaning 'not seen' is inferable.
Etymology
A helpful way to remember the 'not expected' sense of unseen is to think of it as 'not seen before': un- 'not' plus seen (from see) suggests something you did not notice or predict, so unseen problems catch you by surprise.