unintentional

[uhn-in-ten-shuh-nl]

See more synonyms for unintentional on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not intentional or deliberate: an unintentional omission from the list.

Origin of unintentional

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

Related formsun·in·ten·tion·al·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for unintentional on Thesaurus.com

accidental, unplanned, inadvertent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unintentional

Contemporary Examples

If nothing else, it is should provide a lot of unintentional hilarity.
Palin TV Will Be Comedy Central
Dean Obeidallah
July 29, 2014
Tvert says there are always cases of people using alcohol and other substances and suffering from unintentional injuries.
Denver Teen Fell From a Balcony After Eating a Marijuana Cookie, but Don’t Blame the Drug
Valerie Vande Panne
April 7, 2014
He laughs at the unintentional contradiction of that statement.
And The Escort of The Year Is… Backstage at The Sex Oscars
Scott Bixby
March 24, 2014
Weiner could have the series end on an “ambiguous note” for audiences, even though it may be unintentional.
7 Things to Know About the Final Season of ‘Mad Men’
Marina Watts
March 12, 2014
Either it was unintentional or she is the smoothest trickster ever, because she never reacts to it.
11 News Anchor Flubs: Tom Brokaw on Ambien, Weather Penis, and More
Alec Kubas-Meyer
December 18, 2013

Historical Examples

My father did them a hideous wrong, but it was an unintentional wrong.
The Monster Men
Edgar Rice Burroughs
“Yes, he is dead,” replied Tresler, with unintentional solemnity.
The Night Riders
Ridgwell Cullum
If I had believed the "garrulity," as she called it, to have been unintentional, I might have been flattered.
Kent Knowles: Quahaug
Joseph C. Lincoln
It was as unintentional as the birth of a thought in the head, and he heard nothing of it himself.
Typhoon
Joseph Conrad
“I told you that the shooting of the animal was unintentional,” he said.
Out of the Depths
Robert Ames Bennet

British Dictionary definitions for unintentional

unintentional

adjective

not deliberate; accidentalthe killing had been unintentional

Derived Formsunintentionally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unintentional

adj.

1782, from un- (1) "not" + intentional. Related: Unintentionally (1769).

unintentional

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unintentional

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for unintentional

Contemporary Examples

If nothing else, it is should provide a lot of unintentional hilarity.

Tvert says there are always cases of people using alcohol and other substances and suffering from unintentional injuries.

He laughs at the unintentional contradiction of that statement.

Weiner could have the series end on an “ambiguous note” for audiences, even though it may be unintentional.

Either it was unintentional or she is the smoothest trickster ever, because she never reacts to it.

Historical Examples

My father did them a hideous wrong, but it was an unintentional wrong.

“Yes, he is dead,” replied Tresler, with unintentional solemnity.

If I had believed the "garrulity," as she called it, to have been unintentional, I might have been flattered.

It was as unintentional as the birth of a thought in the head, and he heard nothing of it himself.

“I told you that the shooting of the animal was unintentional,” he said.

unintentional

Word Origin and History for unintentional

adj.

Origin of unintentional