Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun unknown_quantity

2 senses of unknown quantity

Sense 1
unknown quantity -- (a factor in a given situation whose bearing and importance is not apparent; "I don't know what the new man will do; he's still an unknown quantity")
       => factor -- (anything that contributes causally to a result; "a number of factors determined the outcome")

Sense 2
unknown, unknown quantity -- (a variable whose values are solutions of an equation)
       => variable -- (a symbol (like x or y) that is used in mathematical or logical expressions to represent a variable quantity)