inadvertent

adjective

in·​ad·​ver·​tent ˌi-nəd-ˈvər-tᵊnt 

1

: unintentional

an inadvertent omission

2

: not focusing the mind on a matter : inattentive

inadvertently adverb

Did you know?

The Formation of Inadvertent

It may look innocent, but inadvertent belongs to a class of words that provoke anger in many people who care about language – to wit, the back-formation. Bucking the usual trend in which longer words are formed from shorter ones by the addition of an affix (for example, superficiality from superficial), back-formations are created by clipping off a piece of a longer word; in this case, inadvertent was back-formed from inadvertence or inadvertency. A fair number of these words populate English, including brainwash (from brainwashing), complicit (from complicity), escalate (from escalator), and televise (from television). Certain back-formations, such as liaise (which comes from liaison) rub some people the wrong way. While they are under no obligation to accept liaise, there is nothing inherently wrong with back-formations; they are just another way our language has of creating new words.

Synonyms

• accidental
• casual
• chance
• fluky
• flukey
• fortuitous
• incidental
• unintended
• unintentional
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unwitting

Examples of inadvertent in a Sentence

an inadvertent encounter with a rattlesnake in the brush

Recent Examples on the Web

At 6:36 of the first period, Carolina Hurricanes forward Jasper Kotkaniemi went to the penalty box for four minutes after an inadvertent high stick caught Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson in the face. —Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

But there are risks: loss of your unique voice, inadvertent errors, and ethical pitfalls, all of which can negatively impact your credibility and relationships. —Alexandra Samuel, Harvard Business Review, 9 Dec. 2024

During the sequence, Hardaway took an inadvertent Adebayo elbow to the face, a jolt from Herro and then was inadvertently kicked in the head by Pistons center Jalen Duren, who had been knocked off balance. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2024

State officials emphasized that the incident was inadvertent, has been rectified, and has not affected the election process. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from inadvertence

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

inadvertent

adjective

in·​ad·​ver·​tent ˌin-əd-ˈvərt-ᵊnt 

1

: not paying attention : inattentive

2

: not meant, sought, or intended : unintentional

an inadvertent violation of the law

inadvertently adverb