Definition
Cross-government
Risks, conditions or factors that have not been identified and are therefore outside the assumptions currently being considered.
Also known as: unknown-unknowns, we don't know what we don't know
Context: The phrase is a reminder to build resilience and learning capacity, not an excuse to avoid identifying foreseeable risks.
Where you may encounter this
Source checked for Unknown unknowns (opens in a new tab) Checked 2026-08-05