unanticipated

adjective

un·​an·​tic·​i·​pat·​ed ˌən-an-ˈti-sə-ˌpā-təd 

: not anticipated : unexpected, unforeseen

unanticipatedly adverb

Synonyms of unanticipated

• sudden
• unexpected

Examples of unanticipated in a Sentence

The new policy has had some unanticipated side effects.

ran into some unanticipated difficulties with the computer program

Recent Examples on the Web

Without consistent investment into the very systems our economies depend on, ‘unanticipated shocks’, which the OBR identifies as having the most significant negative effects on the economy, are increasingly likely to be linked to the loss of natural resources. —Nina Seega, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Either there was a layoff at 55 to 60 years old, unanticipated health issues, or others. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 June 2026

Meanwhile, many museums are in serious financial straits, reckoning with the fiscal burden of optimistic expansions and unanticipated increases in operating costs. —Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026

There were also unanticipated consequences in Saudi Arabia, where the monarchy used the great oil wealth created to promote a puritanical, fundamentalist version of Islam. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1779, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unanticipated

• ameliorated
• decontaminated
• deoxygenated
• deteriorated
• differentiated
• disarticulated
• excommunicated
• incapacitated
• individuated
• misappropriated
• monounsaturated
• multinucleated