unintentional

adjective

un·​in·​ten·​tion·​al ˌən-in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl 

: not done by intention or design : not intentional

an unintentional effect

causing unintentional harm/offense

unintentionally adverb

an unintentionally offensive remark

Synonyms of unintentional

• accidental

Examples of unintentional in a Sentence

an unintentional encounter with an old classmate at the mall

an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful

Recent Examples on the Web

An unintentional foul resulted in two more Bandelj free throws, but Fullerton’s Bryce Cofield tipped in a basket with three seconds left to trim the lead to 91-90. —Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025

In the past, the Supreme Court might have been more likely to rule that even unintentional discrimination toward people of color is still a violation of the Voting Rights Act, Kang said. —Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 4 Dec. 2025

But the first few months of unintentional abstinence forced me to get honest with myself. —Essence, 3 Dec. 2025

Any overlap in respondent groups between the two surveys is unintentional. —Joshua Shek, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unintentional

• interventional
• nonconventional
• nondimensional
• unconventional
• attentional
• conventional
• dimensional
• extensional
• intensional
• intentional
• multidimensional
• unidimensional