inadvertent
Americanadjective
-
unintentional.
an inadvertent insult.
-
not attentive; heedless.
- Synonyms:
- inattentive
-
of, relating to, or characterized by lack of attention.
- Synonyms:
- negligent, careless, thoughtless
adjective
-
failing to act carefully or considerately; inattentive
-
resulting from heedless action; unintentional
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inadvertent
First recorded in 1645–55; abstracted from inadvertence, inadvertency
Explanation
When something happens by accident, it's inadvertent, or unintentional. The gas company assured you that the error in your bill was inadvertent and that they would fix it, but not before you blew off some steam. If you break down the adjective inadvertent you find the word vert, from the Latin vertere, meaning "to turn." Advertent comes to mean "turning the mind to," and as the prefix in- means "not," inadvertent means “not turning the mind to,” or "not intending to." When your actions are inadvertent you're not paying attention to their consequences. Remember that inadvertent ends with -ent by remembering this sentence: “We inadvertently ripped the tent.”
Vocabulary lists containing inadvertent
Things Fall Apart
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This Week in Words: April 20–26, 2019
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Inadvertent or unintentional mistakes don’t count, they argued.
From Washington Times • Dec. 20, 2022
Inadvertent crossings of the border by Mexican military forces have occurred in the past, but usually in areas where the border is not clearly marked, not at major border crossing bridges.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2021
Inadvertent fireworks explosions, which sometimes turn deadly, are an all-too-common occurrence in Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2021
Misinformation on NSA programs includes statements by officials Inadvertent missteps, legal parsing blamed for errors and false assertions about classified programs.
From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2013
Logan's script creates a fully populated world of greed, malice and One True Inadvertent Hero, but the wit and charm is scant.
From Chicago Tribune • Mar. 2, 2011
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
