un‧ac‧knowl‧edged /ˌʌnəkˈnɒlɪdʒd◂ $ -ˈnɑː-/ adjective

1. ignored or not noticed:
Unacknowledged anger can often cause problems in later life.

2. not receiving the public thanks, praise, or reward that something deserves:
Women’s work in the home tends to be both unpaid and unacknowledged.

3. the unacknowledged leader/authority etc someone who is a leader etc but who has not publicly or officially been given that position

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲