unintentional

[uhn-in-ten-shuh-nl]

adjective

1. not intentional or deliberate.

   an unintentional omission from the list.

   Synonyms: inadvertent, accidental
   Antonyms: planned, intentional

unintentional

/ ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəl /

adjective

1. not deliberate; accidental

   the killing had been unintentional

Other Word Forms

• unintentionally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unintentional¹

First recorded in 1775–85; un- ¹ + intentional

Example Sentences

But European officials have forcefully batted off suggestions the act may have been unintentional.

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Blackened by soot, the gutted and derelict remains of South Africa's infamous Usindiso building in central Johannesburg are an unintentional memorial to the 76 people who died here in a devastating fire two years ago.

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In the 1990s, the unintentional decimation of the vulture populations in India led to an increased awareness of their role in human health.

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“Intentional, unintentional, the fact of the matter is we took exception with it. I responded.”

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Some children had experienced unintentional pain when staff attempted to use physical restraint, according to the letter.

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Related Words

• accidental 
• inadvertent 
• involuntary 
• random 
• unexpected 
• unforeseen 
• unintended 
• unplanned