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

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

And yet, the realization of this goal often comes with unanticipated psychological costs. — Julianna Pillemer, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026

Guidance Tweak The future size of long-bond sales has been the subject of debate over the last week, after Treasury officials made an unanticipated tweak to their latest quarterly borrowing policy statement. — Greg Ritchie, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026

The unanticipated problem now is that the rise of artificial intelligence is making machines capable of passing these tests. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 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