unlabelled

Something that is unlabelled has no name, tag, title, or other information attached to it. You might see an unlabelled box in a store room, an unlabelled jar in the kitchen, or an unlabelled file on a computer. In each case, the problem is the same: there is no clear sign telling you what it is.

The word is most often used for physical objects, containers, products, files, or parts of charts and diagrams. Sometimes something is left unlabelled by accident, and sometimes it is done on purpose to keep it plain, private, or mysterious.

"Unlabelled" describes something that does not have any identifying information attached to it: no name, title, tag, sticker, or written explanation. When something is unlabelled, you cannot tell at a glance what it is, what it contains, or how it should be understood.

You will often encounter "unlabelled" when discussing everyday objects. An unlabelled box in the attic might contain old photos, tools, or junk. An unlabelled jar in the pantry could hold sugar, salt, or spices. The word is also common for files, folders, museum items, laboratory samples, products on shelves, and data in charts or diagrams where names or categories have not been added. In all of these cases, the item is missing the words or marks that would identify it clearly.

Sometimes, things are deliberately left unlabelled. A gift may be unlabelled so the sender stays unknown, or a piece of art may be unlabelled to create mystery. In technical or scientific writing, the word can also describe material that has not been marked with a tracking substance or identifying code. Overall, "unlabelled" means lacking the label or identifying information that people normally expect to see.