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

Synonyms of unintended

• accidental

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

These concerns are becoming significant enough that OWASP introduced its Top 10 Risks for Agentic AI, highlighting issues such as prompt injection, excessive agency and unintended actions performed by autonomous systems. — Oded Hareven, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

This turned out to be an excellent, if unintended, tick-control strategy. — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026

Another covers unintended behavior that kills at least 10 people or causes $100 million in economic damage. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to eating, making a habit of skipping breakfast can have unintended effects on your health. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unintended

• apprehended
• comprehended
• condescended
• recommended
• resuspended
• unamended
• unattended
• undefended
• undescended
• unexpended
• amended
• appended