unbeknown
/ʌnbɪˈnəʊn
/(also unbeknownst /ʌnbɪˈnəʊnst/)
adjective (unbeknown to)
Without the knowledge of (someone): unbeknown to me, she made some enquiries...
- He further relies upon the fact that, unbeknown to him, his informant status had become public knowledge.
- The informer said that, unbeknown to retailers, it could be as long as 20 days from slaughter to final use-by date for a raw chicken breast.
- There was a reason for this: unbeknown to the Reserve Bank, the major banks were working secretly and cooperatively to develop an alternative payment system that would substitute for direct debits.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from un-1 'not' + archaic beknown 'known'.
Rhymes
- gib
- gibber
- gibberbird
- gibberellic acid
- gibberellin
- gibber-gunyah
- gibberish
- gibber stone
- gibbet
- gibbon
- Gibbon, Edward
- Gibbon, Lewis Grassic
- Gibbons, Grinling
- Gibbons, Orlando
- gibbosity
- gibbous
- gibbously
- gibbous moon
- gibbousness
- Gibbs free energy
- Gibbs function
- gibbsite
- Gibbs, James
- Gibbs, Josiah Willard
- Gibbs phase rule