unintended

adjective

un·​in·​tend·​ed ˌən-in-ˈten-dəd How to pronounce unintended (audio)
Synonyms of unintendednext
: not planned as a purpose or goal : not deliberate or intended
an unintended consequence/effect
an unintended pregnancy

Examples of unintended in a Sentence

backyard digging that resulted in unintended damage to buried phone wires a response that yielded an unintended insight into her personal character
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.
Even Governor Polis signaled concern when signing the original law, describing it as a complex compliance regime that risked unintended consequences. Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 High school student Mia Tatar, 16, raised concerns at the board meeting that there’s been an unintended consequence to the anti-tech backlash. ABC News, 14 May 2026 Stray bullets Sometimes, attempts to strengthen gun laws have had unintended consequences. Allen G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026 That’s unequivocally bad news for the left, but the unintended consequence of the right’s zeal to rig the maps could send Black voters back to the Dems in numbers a single candidate not named Obama could not. S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintended

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unintended was in 1649

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unintended.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintended. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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