What does "mystery" mean?
Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.
Mystery
/ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/ noun
noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.
- Grammar: mystery is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: enigma, adventure story, allegory, ambiguity.
- Useful contrasts: noncontact force explanation, physiological mechanism, scientific phenomena.
- Usage evidence: Despite the importance of sleep, its purpose is a mystery.
How to use "mystery"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mystery" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mystery" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mystery" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mystery" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mystery" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "enigma" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mystery", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown. countable, uncountable
"The truth behind the events remains a mystery."
- 2 something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained wordnet
- 3 Someone or something with an obscure or puzzling nature. countable, uncountable
"That man is a mystery."
- 4 a story about a crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or movie wordnet
- 5 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. countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A mystery play. countable, uncountable
"The Moralities displayed something more of art and invention than the Mysteries; in them virtues, vices and qualities were personified, and something like a plot was frequently to be discovered."
- 7 A secret or mystical meaning. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"[…] and, not knowing the meaning or misterie of her pollicie, forgat no termes of reproche or rigorous rebuke against his chast doughter."
- 8 A religious truth not understandable by the application of human reason alone (without divine aid). countable, uncountable
"1744 (first printed), Jonathan Swift, A Sermon on the Trinity If God should please to reveal unto us this great mystery of the Trinity, or some other mysteries in our holy religion, we should not be able to understand them, unless he would bestow on us some new faculties of the mind."
- 9 A sacrament. countable, uncountable
"There are seven mysteries, or sacraments, in the Greek church, viz. baptism, the chrism (a rite peculiar to this church), the eucharist, confession, ordination, marriage, and the holy oil."
- 10 A secret religious celebration, admission to which was usually through initiation. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"the Eleusinian mysteries"
- 11 A particular event or series of events in the life of Christ. countable, uncountable
"The second decade of the Rosary concerns the Sorrowful mysteries, such as the crucifixion and the crowning with thorns."
- 12 A craft, art or trade; specifically a guild of craftsmen. archaic, countable, uncountable
"The trades, the crafts, the mysteries, would all be losers."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Despite the importance of sleep, its purpose is a mystery."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mystery"?
Common synonyms include: enigma, adventure story, allegory, ambiguity, ambiguousness, anagoge.
How do you use "mystery" in a sentence?
Despite the importance of sleep, its purpose is a mystery.
How do you pronounce "mystery"?
Pronounced /ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English mysterie, from Anglo-Norman misterie (Old French mistere), from Latin mysterium, from Ancient Greek μυστήριον (mustḗrion, “a mystery, a secret, a secret rite”), from μύστης (mústēs, “initiated one”), from μυέω (muéō, “I initiate”), from μύω (múō, “I shut”). Displaced native Old English ġerȳne.