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

The filings say that the state offered Taylor 234 months in prison for pleading guilty to one count of second-degree unintentional murder. — Aki Nace, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Disposing of unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs is important to protect children and teens from accidental or unintentional exposure. — Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

Many in the industry agree that a lack of AI safety standards could cause real-world harm, like unintentional hacking of critical infrastructure. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026

Anyone can take our photo and keep it on their phone—a permanent record of our potentially unintentional presentation to the world. — Literary Hub, 8 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