unintentional

[uhn-in-ten-shuh-nl]

adjective

1. not intentional or deliberate.

   an unintentional omission from the list.

   Synonyms: inadvertent, accidental
   Antonyms: planned, intentional

unintentional

/ ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəl /

adjective

1. not deliberate; accidental

   the killing had been unintentional

Other Word Forms

• unintentionally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unintentional¹

First recorded in 1775–85; un- ¹ + intentional

Example Sentences

Blackened by soot, the gutted and derelict remains of South Africa's infamous Usindiso building in central Johannesburg are an unintentional memorial to the 76 people who died here in a devastating fire two years ago.

From BBC

In the 1990s, the unintentional decimation of the vulture populations in India led to an increased awareness of their role in human health.

From BBC

“Intentional, unintentional, the fact of the matter is we took exception with it. I responded.”

From Los Angeles Times

Some children had experienced unintentional pain when staff attempted to use physical restraint, according to the letter.

From BBC

Before this series began, Stokes said the time off after his January operation had allowed him to iron out unintentional eccentricities that had crept into his bowling.

From BBC

Related Words

• accidental 
• inadvertent 
• involuntary 
• random 
• unexpected 
• unforeseen 
• unintended 
• unplanned