unspoken
Americanadjective
-
implied or understood without being spoken or uttered.
-
not addressed (usually followed byto ).
-
not talking; silent.
adjective
-
understood without needing to be spoken; tacit
-
not uttered aloud
Etymology
Origin of unspoken
First recorded in 1325–75, unspoken is from the Middle English word unspokyn. See un- 1, spoken
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He describes an “unspoken, innate, really deep, almost inaccessible thing” between himself and his uncle.
From Los Angeles Times
Then we both looked away, per the unspoken terms of the Donut Truce.
From Literature
His shoulder pressed against mine and I leaned into it a little in some kind of unspoken solidarity.
From Literature
Dorinda Medley has described the unspoken rule bluntly: you had to get there early, because once the salmon disappeared, what remained was… less compelling.
From Salon
Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, recently said that the truly “smart” people in the future will be those who can “infer the unspoken,” “see around corners,” and “pre-empt problems before they show up.”
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
