mystery

noun
mys·te·ry
mĭsʹt(ə)rē

Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.

Example

“The truth behind the events remains a mystery.”

Other meanings

Someone or something with an obscure or puzzling nature.
“That man is a mystery.”
An account, story, book, film, or play, often with the theme of crime or murder, with a surprise ending that explains all the strange events that have occurred.

Synonyms

secret
closed book

Related words

bibliomystery
mysterama
mysteriarch
mysterical
mysteried
mysterize
mysteryless
nonmystery
submystery
unmystery
dramystery
Eleusinian Mysteries

Example sentences

“What will happen next remains a mystery.”
Tatoeba · Igider · CC0
“What makes a good mystery story?”
Tatoeba · shekitten · CC0

Word history

From Ancient Greek "μυστήριον" (a mystery, a secret, a secret rite).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “mystery” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.