unintentional
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
They added: "Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake."
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Meanwhile, the night’s theme — “Costume Art” — has onlookers concerned that the Met Gala might be teetering into unintentional self-parody.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
“Loss,” as even the government admitted, “is ordinarily understood to capture unintentional conduct,” the justice wrote.
From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026
From 2016-23, there were 3,631 fatal unintentional drowning cases in California, according to data from the state’s Public Health Department.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
“That was an unintentional mistake. What you did was far worse. You’ll need to talk to your therapist about it.”
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
