unintentional
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unintentionally adverb
Etymology
Origin of unintentional
First recorded in 1775–85; un- 1 + intentional
Explanation
If an action is lacking a specific intent or plan, it can be described as unintentional. If you didn't mean to burp during Thanksgiving dinner, it was unintentional. If you grow an unintentional watermelon plant in your yard, it means you didn't plant it on purpose. It may be an unintentional result of last month's epic watermelon seed spitting contest. A little boy might cut his own hair into an unintentional Mohawk, and your wrong turn in an unfamiliar city might result in an unintentional visit to the zoo. The root word is the Latin intentionem, "a stretching out, straining, exertion, or effort," plus the prefix un, or "not."
Vocabulary lists containing unintentional
Power Prefix: un-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: un-
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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.
Were there any things that happened during the filming of the special that were unexpected that kind of stood out to you as far as maybe some unintentional humor?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
“Loss,” as even the government admitted, “is ordinarily understood to capture unintentional conduct,” the justice wrote.
From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026
Also suffering unintentional weight loss: shares of Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk following disappointing guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Many studies have not been able to determine whether observed health improvements came from shorter eating windows, unintentional calorie reduction, or a combination of both.
From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2026
The Vic was amazing, a museumworthy piece of unintentional folk art.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
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.
