unintentional

adjective

un·​in·​ten·​tion·​al
ˌən-in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl
 How to pronounce unintentional (audio)
: not done by intention or design : not intentional
an unintentional effect
causing unintentional harm/offense
unintentionally adverb
an unintentionally offensive remark

Examples of unintentional in a Sentence

an unintentional encounter with an old classmate at the mall an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The former officer, , is currently serving a 22-and-a-half-year state sentence for second-degree unintentional murder, alongside a concurrent 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights. Jesus Mesa, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025 Inadequate detection mechanisms could result in unintentional exposure, leading to regulatory non-compliance or reputational damage. Mandar Khoje, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 These series function, then, as a subtle yet potent, possibly unintentional form of propaganda, whose function is to convince viewers of all kinds that our current form of patriarchy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Judy Berman, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025 Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton play the titular socialists and Jack Nicholson shows up to play Eugene O’Neill (offering an unintentional preview of Something’s Gotta Give). Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unintentional 

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unintentional was in 1782

Dictionary Entries Near unintentional

Cite this Entry

“Unintentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintentional. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unintentional

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