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unidentified

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Etymology and origin of the English word unidentified

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1812
Ultimate origin
English un-,identified

Pronunciation

  • /ˌʌnaɪˈdɛntɪfaɪd/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English un- (“not”) + identified, the past participle of identify.[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Whose identity has not been established: Etymonline dates it to 1812,[2] while the OED's first quotation is from 1861, in Galton's Vacation Tourists.[3]

Semantic evolution

Merriam-Webster notes that something unidentified need not be unidentifiable.[4] Its best-known use is in the phrase unidentified flying object, which the OED and the Shorter Oxford link with UFO.[3][5] The adjective unidentifiable is recorded from the early 20th century.[5]

Timeline

  • 1812 – not identified, of unknown identity.[2]
  • 1861 – first OED quotation.[3]
  • early 20th century – unidentifiable.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not identified; whose identity is not known: The police found an unidentified car near the bridge.[6][4][3]

Word family

  • unidentified flying object

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Unidentified.” Etymologically, 26 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/unidentified. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·