unforeseen

adjective

un·​fore·​seen ˌən-fȯr-ˈsēn How to pronounce unforeseen (audio)
: not anticipated or expected : not foreseen : unexpected
an unforeseen delay
unforeseen consequences

Examples of unforeseen in a Sentence

there are almost always unforeseen consequences for any major endeavor unforeseen problems delayed the project beyond its deadline
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then something unforeseen happened: Public adoption, government incentives, and charging-network development all slowed, so Bentley had to slacken the pace of its transition, too. Brett Berk, Robb Report, 9 Feb. 2025 Denzel Washington, soon to return to the Broadway stage with Othello opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, came across a bit of an unforeseen snafu around rehearsals. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2025 Barring an unforeseen geopolitical disaster or some sort of macroeconomic implosion, ad rates for Super Bowl LX in large part will be determined by the number of people the Fox flagship scares up on Sunday night. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2025 Barring an unforeseen disruption, that makes sense, given the current world population of about 8 billion and the current global average fertility rate of 2.3 children per woman, a little bit above the human replacement fertility rate of 2.1. Dylan Scott, Vox, 5 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unforeseen 

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unforeseen was in 1651

Dictionary Entries Near unforeseen

Cite this Entry

“Unforeseen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforeseen. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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