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.
This creates a potential for manipulation, albeit unintentional on the AI's part. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025 Not including Friday's incident in Racine, at least 63 unintentional shootings by children have already occurred this year, according to Everytown. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 May 2025 Experts believe these deaths are often unintentional, and are sharks simply mistaking human kicks for fish splashes. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 16 May 2025 Most of the improper payments in 2022 were due to unintentional mistakes by state workers or households, rather than intentional fraud, according to an analysis of the data by the left-leaning Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Stephen Fowler, NPR, 9 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Unintentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintentional. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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