unplanned

adjective

un·​planned ˌən-ˈpland 

: not expected or intended : not planned

an unplanned detour

an unplanned pregnancy

Synonyms of unplanned

• accidental
• unexpected

Examples of unplanned in a Sentence

an unplanned change in our itinerary—we got lost!

stumbled through a completely unplanned acceptance speech

Recent Examples on the Web

Choose three specific actions in the next 30 days that ready you for the pivots ahead — planned and unplanned. — Laurel Donnellan, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

White House officials told me that his comments on CNN about not supplying the weapons if Israel attacked Rafah had been unplanned and hadn’t reflected a formal decision. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

The film unfolds in a devout fishing community on Malaysia’s East Coast, following two young lovers, Jani and Melur, whose plans for the future are upended by an unplanned pregnancy, poverty and addiction, pushing Jani toward the drug trade. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 July 2026

One study found that up to 75% of pregnancies among women in their 40s are unplanned. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unplanned

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland