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

Being the unintentional voice of political pessimism can make a person something of a pessimist. — David MacK, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

But that name change amounted to an unintentional violation of GoFundMe terms, according to the daughter. — David K. Li, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Although these are all colors associated with different lightsabers, that choice was unintentional, Scanlon says. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Most of the killers — heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries top the list — remained unchanged from 2023. — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 22 Sep. 2026

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