unerklärt

Unerklärt is a German adjective meaning "not explained" or "not clarified." It is used to describe facts, phenomena, or data whose causes or underlying explanations have not yet been established. In scientific reporting, journalism, medicine, and law, terms such as unerklärte Phänomene, unerklärte Ursachen, or unerklärte Symptome are common, signaling that current information does not provide a definitive explanation.

Etymology and usage: The word is formed with the prefix un- added to erklärt, the past participle of erklären. As an adjective it can appear attributively (eine unerklärte Ursache) or predicatively (die Ursache ist unerklärt).

Nuances and related terms: The adjective "unerklärt" is closely related to but not always identical with "unerklärlich" (inexplicable) or "ungeklärt" (undetermined or unresolved). "Unerklärlich" tends to describe something that resists explanation in principle, while "ungeklärt" emphasizes unresolved status due to lack of information or formal clarification. The choice depends on context and regional preference.

Examples: A researcher may report "unerklärte Symptome" in a patient where no diagnostic cause is found. A historian may note "unerklärte Ereignisse" in a source with missing context. And "Der Ursprung des Phänomens bleibt unerklärt" is another common construction.

See also: unerklärlich; ungeklärt; unklar; Unklarheit.