unforeseen
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something unforeseen is something that could not be predicted and was not expected. It's a surprise. If something was foreseen, you saw it coming and it wasn't a surprise. Something unforeseen is the opposite: no one saw it coming. Accidents are usually unforeseen events: no one expects to get in a car or bike accident on a given day. Winning the lottery, since it's so unlikely, would be an unforeseen event. If something was unanticipated or out of the blue, it was unforeseen. Unforeseen events can be good or bad, but they’re all surprises.
Vocabulary lists containing unforeseen
Power Prefix: un-
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World Without Fish
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: un-
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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.
Not only can the word cure generate expectations that may not be met and engender disappointment, he says, but it could also have unforeseen practical implications.
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
That said, CK Hutchison warned of new and unforeseen challenges this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
It encapsulates the well-founded belief that starting a war is likely to create unforeseen evils greater than the evil of the status quo.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026
Judge Sandra Crawford said that the events leading to William Houston's fatal injury "were unforeseen, they were foreseeable".
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
It is difficult to believe that Henry’s modest plan could have worked so well despite these unforeseen events.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
