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.
An unintentional walk of Lee and an intentional walk of Casey Schmitt brought Bailey to the plate with the game on the line. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025 The researchers couldn’t fully separate the effects of intentional versus unintentional weight loss. New Atlas, 12 Sep. 2025 Our tradition commands us to refrain from ona’at devarim—causing harm through words—teaching that even unintentional speech that causes emotional pain is a transgression. Andrew Weinstein, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 Fixed a bug where the player character could perform unintentional moves when using the Spectral Hawk. Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unintentional

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