inadvertent

adjective

in·​ad·​ver·​tent ˌi-nəd-ˈvər-tᵊnt How to pronounce inadvertent (audio)
1
: unintentional
an inadvertent omission
2
: not focusing the mind on a matter : inattentive
inadvertently adverb

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The Formation of Inadvertent

It may look innocent, but inadvertent belongs to a class of words that provoke anger in many people who care about language – to wit, the back-formation. Bucking the usual trend in which longer words are formed from shorter ones by the addition of an affix (for example, superficiality from superficial), back-formations are created by clipping off a piece of a longer word; in this case, inadvertent was back-formed from inadvertence or inadvertency. A fair number of these words populate English, including brainwash (from brainwashing), complicit (from complicity), escalate (from escalator), and televise (from television). Certain back-formations, such as liaise (which comes from liaison) rub some people the wrong way. While they are under no obligation to accept liaise, there is nothing inherently wrong with back-formations; they are just another way our language has of creating new words.

Examples of inadvertent in a Sentence

an inadvertent encounter with a rattlesnake in the brush
Recent Examples on the Web Love should have been expressed on the job when someone was about to do something stupid or make an inadvertent error or do something that was going to put themselves or someone else at harm, somebody should have spoken up and stopped the job. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024 These incidents are just the latest examples of how a few inadvertent bad keystrokes can impact modern business operations, which are deeply intertwined with technology. Matt Cullina, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 Although scholars describe different pathways to inadvertent war, their frameworks have a common trait: the assumption that policymakers have limited control over escalation. Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024 In The Scheme, Dawkins insisted that this was an inadvertent mix-up. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inadvertent 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inadvertent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from inadvertence

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of inadvertent was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near inadvertent

Cite this Entry

“Inadvertent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inadvertent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inadvertent

adjective
in·​ad·​ver·​tent ˌin-əd-ˈvərt-ᵊnt How to pronounce inadvertent (audio)
1
: not paying attention : inattentive
2
: not meant, sought, or intended : unintentional
an inadvertent violation of the law
inadvertently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on inadvertent

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