inadvertent

adjective

in·​ad·​ver·​tent ˌi-nəd-ˈvər-tᵊnt 

1

: unintentional

an inadvertent omission

2

: not focusing the mind on a matter : inattentive

inadvertently adverb

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• accidental
• casual
• chance
• fluky
• flukey
• fortuitous
• incidental
• unintended
• unintentional
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unwitting

Examples of inadvertent in a Sentence

an inadvertent encounter with a rattlesnake in the brush

Recent Examples on the Web

Participants worried that the policy has an inadvertent chilling effect, deterring individuals from calling 911 when an overdose occurs. —Katherine Lemasters, The Conversation, 13 June 2025

The team representative and the driver apologised for the inadvertent breach. —Lydia Mee, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025

Industries that have gained from the largely inadvertent protectionist effect of sanctions include agriculture, light manufacturing, and consumer services such as fast food. —Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2025

These inadvertent discriminatory outputs could lead to serious legal and compliance issues and infringe on the privacy rights of individuals. —Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from inadvertence

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

inadvertent

adjective

in·​ad·​ver·​tent ˌin-əd-ˈvərt-ᵊnt 

1

: not paying attention : inattentive

2

: not meant, sought, or intended : unintentional

an inadvertent violation of the law

inadvertently adverb