# How do I check if variable is defined in the current workspace? (not using the macro)
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-do-i-check-if-variable-is-defined-in-the-current-workspace-not-using-the-macro/48545
**Category:** New to Julia
**Created:** [October 17, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-do-i-check-if-variable-is-defined-in-the-current-workspace-not-using-the-macro/48545 "2020-10-17T15:20:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Torkel](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Torkel)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-do-i-check-if-variable-is-defined-in-the-current-workspace-not-using-the-macro/48545/1 "2020-10-17T15:20:41Z")
So I can use
```julia
@isdefined my_undefined_variable
```
and it returns false. But is there something similar without using the macro (a function)? There seems to be a function `isdefined()`, but I don’t know how it works (not as I expected at least).
---
### Author:  [@pdeffebach](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/pdeffebach)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-do-i-check-if-variable-is-defined-in-the-current-workspace-not-using-the-macro/48545/2 "2020-10-17T15:29:43Z")
```julia
julia> x_sym = :x
:x
julia> isdefined(Main, x_sym)
false
julia> x = 1
1
julia> isdefined(Main, x_sym)
true
```
---
### Author:  [@Torkel](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Torkel)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-do-i-check-if-variable-is-defined-in-the-current-workspace-not-using-the-macro/48545/3 "2020-10-17T15:35:54Z")
That’s great! Thanks!