unscheduled

British  

/ ʌnˈʃɛdjuːld /

adjective

1. not arranged or planned according to a programme, timetable, etc

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Explanation

Something unscheduled is not planned for or anticipated. If your mother shows up at your door unscheduled, hope that you've been keeping the place nice and clean since you won't have time to tidy up before her arrival. The word unscheduled describes something that is not planned or scheduled in advance, as seen by the prefix un- meaning "not." An unscheduled interruption of a television program might mean there's breaking news that you need to hear. An unscheduled delay of a flight might mean you're stuck in the airport for hours. Whatever it may be, something that's unscheduled happens without your expecting it, which means it might very well throw you off your regular routine or schedule.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unscheduled

But that can create its own problems; if too many unscheduled aircraft land at an already busy airport, it might not have sufficient infrastructure to accommodate them all.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

There are also opportunities to add or remove components at unscheduled times, such as when a member company gets acquired.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

While the Fed has the capacity to meet by videoconference, such unscheduled meetings have typically generated outsize attention because they signal a significant degree of urgency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

When you’re a kid, it arrives all at once: the last school bell, the first trip to the pool, the permission slip feeling of a completely unscheduled Tuesday.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

“It was an unscheduled landing, completely unexpected. Depending on who you believe, either the radar was out of order briefly while it was landing—or it just appeared. Out of nowhere.”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix