noun
mystery
MIHS-tree
noun
1
Something unexplained, unknown, or puzzling.
"How the vase broke remains a complete mystery."
"There's an air of mystery about the old house on the hill."
2
A story, book, or film built around solving a puzzling crime, with the answer revealed at the end.
"She loves reading detective mysteries on holiday."
3
A religious truth or rite considered beyond ordinary human understanding.
"The priest spoke of the mystery of the Eucharist."
How to Use Mystery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething puzzling or unknown — or a story genre built around solving a secret.
Common pairings
solve a mystery
a mystery novel
shrouded in mystery
Word Forms
mysteries plural
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How the vase broke remains a complete _____.
Etymology
From Latin mysterium, from Ancient Greek mysterion ("a secret rite"), from a root meaning "to initiate."