unintended
adjective
un·in·tend·ed
ˌən-in-ˈten-dəd 
: not planned as a purpose or goal : not deliberate or intended
an unintended consequence/effect
an unintended pregnancy
Examples of unintended in a Sentence
backyard digging that resulted in unintended damage to buried phone wires
a response that yielded an unintended insight into her personal character
Recent Examples on the Web
But critics warn that strict age limits may produce unintended consequences.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Distorting markets brings unintended consequences which exacerbate problems, not solve them.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
But in this case, Grok's devotion to Musk might be an unintended error.
—PC Magazine, 20 Nov. 2025
Football is no stranger to infighting in its world of self-interest and the rising revenues have unintended consequences.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintended
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Distorting markets brings unintended consequences which exacerbate problems, not solve them.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
But in this case, Grok's devotion to Musk might be an unintended error.
—PC Magazine, 20 Nov. 2025
Football is no stranger to infighting in its world of self-interest and the rising revenues have unintended consequences.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintended
Cite this Entry
“Unintended.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintended. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share