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

Some remembered fondly their own inadvertent artworks made by children. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

This increases the possibility that the product will be successful in a variety of markets and lessens the possibility of inadvertent prejudice or oversight that could end up alienating certain customer segments. —David Hengartner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Last month, the U.S. and China’s top commanders in the Indo-Pacific resumed formal communications for the first time since 2022, which is vital for avoiding inadvertent military conflict. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024

Upon learning about these inadvertent issues years ago, Apple worked closely with Goldman Sachs to quickly address them and help impacted customers. —Jay Peters, The Verge, 23 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