unintentional

adjective

un·​in·​ten·​tion·​al

ˌən-in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl

 

: not done by intention or design : not intentional

an unintentional effect

causing unintentional harm/offense

unintentionally adverb

an unintentionally offensive remark

Synonyms

• accidental
• casual
• chance
• fluky
• flukey
• fortuitous
• inadvertent
• incidental
• unintended
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unwitting

Examples of unintentional in a Sentence

an unintentional encounter with an old classmate at the mall

an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful

Recent Examples on the Web

He was accused of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the unintentional death of Neely – and later acquitted. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2025

During the studied period, the percentage of misuse or drug abuse cases increased from 26.1% to 39.2%, while there was a decrease in unintentional exposures, from 47.8% to 35.4%. —Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2025

In turn, the partner’s actions—whether intentional or unintentional—can trigger or worsen jealousy, reinforcing an unhealthy cycle of behavior. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

In the overall population, men’s higher mortality rates are driven by a few key conditions: unintentional injuries, diabetes, suicide, homicide, heart disease, and more recently, COVID-19. —Christopher M. Worsham, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unintentional

• interventional
• nonconventional
• nondimensional
• unconventional
• attentional
• conventional
• dimensional
• extensional
• intensional
• intentional
• multidimensional
• unidimensional