unintended

adjective

un·​in·​tend·​ed ˌən-in-ˈten-dəd 

: not planned as a purpose or goal : not deliberate or intended

an unintended consequence/effect

an unintended pregnancy

Synonyms of unintended

• accidental

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

Other groups, like the California Teachers Association and numerous labor unions, have begun running digital ads to highlight the unintended financial consequences of this one-time tax on billionaire wealth. — Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

The unintended consequences are severely destabilizing. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026

Critics argue that the unintended consequence has been a system optimized for enforcement at scale that can, at times, struggle to distinguish between bad actors and legitimate publishers. — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026

When planning his funeral, an unintended slight could ignite the reordering of eulogists or the dropping and replacement of a pallbearer, only for them to be brought back again days later. — Griffin Dunne, Vulture, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unintended

• apprehended
• comprehended
• condescended
• recommended
• resuspended
• unamended
• unattended
• undefended
• undescended
• unexpended
• amended
• appended