unexpectedly

[ uhn-ik-spek-tid-lee ]

adverb

1. in a way that is surprising or unforeseen:

   One of her friends passed away unexpectedly this week.

Word History and Origins

Origin of unexpectedly¹

unexpected ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

And the theater, quite unexpectedly, turned out to be 2024’s silver lining.

From Los Angeles Times

A friend unexpectedly hosted a vagabond queen who birthed a litter in their place.

From Salon

"If his malnutrition and health issues had been treated, it is highly unlikely that he would have died suddenly and unexpectedly at his age."

From BBC

This is especially true in the field of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, where environmental stressors can unexpectedly influence how humans think and react.

From Science Daily

She said she and her husband, Crispen, had started to look into surrogacy when, unexpectedly, she fell pregnant.

From BBC

Related Words

• quickly
• suddenly
• unusually