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

More gets lost when implementation hits an unanticipated constraint. — Lorenzo Alvaro, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

The eight-hour, first-time homebuyer course teaches the basics of all the hidden and unanticipated costs that come with purchasing a home, while a separate one-on-one session prepares buyers to understand basic bookkeeping and finance. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2026

In late October 2025, the automaker Honda had to indefinitely shutter a Mexican plant that manufactures its SUVs, thanks to an unanticipated shortage of parts. — Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026

The council voted to shift $400,000 set aside to replace a pump at the Spring Lake Pump Station to cover unanticipated costs at the treatment plant. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 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