Added 7 October 2026
mystery
/ˈmɪs.t(ə.)ɹi/ noun
In Latin: mysterium, obscuritas, occulta Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mystery at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Something secret or unexplainable; an unknown.
The truth behind the events remains a mystery.
-
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.
Origin
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, “to initiate”), from μύω (múō, “to shut”). Displaced native Old English ġerȳne.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)