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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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unseen

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'unseen' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is not currently visible, such as a potential consequence of an action. For example: "The changes I made had unseen consequences that I could not have predicted."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Opinion

Arts

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Of the unseen Top Gear footage, Shillinglaw said it would definitely make it on to BBC2 – although not enough had been shot for three full one-hour episodes.

News & Media

The Guardian

Yes, it is principally about the soil, its fertility and the lack of chemicals and pesticides used, but it's also about "the unseen forces and energies of life and growth that permeate all living things".

As RTE ringmaster Bill O'Herlihy tut-tutted in a fatherly and faux po-faced fashion, pundit Eamon Dunphy got to work with his new toy, an electronic pen with which he could enhance and illustrate his analysis by drawing white lines, circles, arrows and squiggles on a monitor after pausing the VT with an often aggressive roar of "Stop it there!" at some unseen flunkie in the production suite.

The revelations – contained in a previously unseen email sent by Dave Hartnett, the then head of HMRC – also bring to light the fact that Amyas Morse, the head of the National Audit Office NAOO), told his staff that the review by Sir Andrew Park would find no evidence of serious wrongdoing.

News & Media

The Guardian

But in a scene that felt more Office Space than Black Hawk Down, he rose after a moment, stuck his rifle around the corner and fired blindly at an enemy unseen.

In this film, an art collector guides an unseen interviewer around six paintings by Frédéric Tonnerre in an attempt to solve the mystery of a missing seventh painting.

Consequently now she is one of the ones coming last by a mile, hobbled by an unseen, misunderstood disability and yet still so determined to cross the line.

"They don't want to fire silver bullets unless it's absolutely necessary; like a zero day [a previously unknown and unpatched vulnerability] or something like that, or a previously unseen piece of malware.

But if there is no moral response to death, then how much harder it becomes to excite people with the more complex dilemmas that Hare himself cares about, such as the unseen corrosion of a debased political culture.

The catalogue of horrors uncovered by the film German Concentration Camps Factual Survey is unremitting, but they remained unseen for decades.

It doesn't matter that I know that all these molecular interactions are vital for life, that I know they have been shaped and guided by the unseen hand of evolutionary selection over billions of years, or that I'm quite comfortable with my evolutionary connections to the history of life on Earth.

News & Media

The Guardian
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "unseen", consider whether "undiscovered" or "unrecognized" might be more appropriate if the emphasis is on a lack of discovery or acknowledgement, rather than visibility.

Common error

Avoid using "unseen" simply to describe something not currently visible if a more direct word like "hidden" or "invisible" would suffice. Use "unseen" when implying a deeper lack of awareness or previous existence.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

93%

Authority and reliability

4.6/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "unseen" is as an adjective, modifying a noun to indicate that something has not been seen or discovered. Ludwig AI confirms its standard usage, as demonstrated in examples like "unseen footage" and "unseen forces."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Opinion

18%

Arts

10%

Less common in

Lifestyle

8%

Books

6%

Tech

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unseen" functions primarily as an adjective to describe something that is not visible or previously known. Ludwig AI analysis confirms the word is grammatically correct and widely used in various contexts. While alternatives like "hidden" and "undetected" exist, "unseen" carries its own specific connotation of something not yet perceived or discovered. Its prevalence in news and media, as well as opinion pieces, indicates its broad applicability and acceptance in standard English writing. Remember to consider context when choosing between "unseen" and similar terms to ensure the most precise and effective communication.

FAQs

How can I use "unseen" in a sentence?

You can use "unseen" to describe something not previously observed or known, such as, "The project had "unseen challenges" that we had to overcome."

What can I say instead of "unseen"?

You can use alternatives like "hidden", "undetected", or "unobserved" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "unseen challenges" or "unforeseen challenges"?

"Unforeseen challenges" often refers to challenges that could not have been predicted, while "unseen challenges" refers to challenges that were not noticed until they occurred.

What's the difference between "unseen" and "invisible"?

"Unseen" typically means not noticed or perceived, whereas "invisible" means literally incapable of being seen. Something "invisible" can't be seen even if someone is looking for it, while something unseen simply hasn't been noticed.

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Source & Trust

93%

Authority and reliability

4.6/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: