Synonyms of unintentional

unintentional

adjective

ˌən-in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl

1

as in accidental

happening by chance

an unintentional encounter with an old classmate at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accidental
• inadvertent
• unexpected
• chance
• unintended
• incidental
• unplanned
• fortuitous
• casual
• unwitting
• odd
• unpremeditated
• random
• arbitrary
• coincidental
• fluky
• haphazard
• unforeseen
• unforeseeable
• aimless
• uncertain
• unconscious
• involuntary
• freak
• desultory
• forced
• unprompted
• coerced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• intentional
• deliberate
• intended
• premeditated
• planned
• calculated
• inevitable
• certain
• predictable
• sure
• foreseeable
• fixed
• destined
• foreseen
• set
• expected
• premeditative
• prescribed
• predetermined
• conscious
• prepense
• voluntary
• willful
• knowing
• unforced
• volunteer
• preordained
• predestined
• foreordained
• freewill

2

as in spontaneous

not made or done willingly or by choice

an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accidental
• spontaneous
• unwilling
• unintended
• involuntary
• forced
• coerced
• automatic
• inadvertent
• impulsive
• will-less
• unplanned
• instinctive
• unpremeditated
• unconscious
• unwitting
• unprompted
• unknowing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• intentional
• deliberate
• voluntary
• willful
• willing
• conscious
• unforced
• purposeful
• uncoerced
• premeditated
• knowing
• planned
• considered
• advised
• volitional
• freewill
• premeditative
• prepense
• self-inflicted
• self-imposed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unintentional

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Christopher Nolan’s Catwoman was never going to evoke the (intentional) camp of Michelle Pfeiffer or the (unintentional) camp of Halle Berry. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Drug overdose deaths still elevated Last year, 1,554 people died of unintentional drug overdoses, up from 1,409 in 2024 and 884 in 2019. — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026

Arday has previously denied any deliberate wrongdoing, describing mistakes in his academic work as unintentional and arguing that much of the criticism amounts to an ideologically and racially motivated campaign against him. — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Snipping stems too late on old wood blooming hydrangeas can result in the unintentional removal of new flower buds. — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 6 Aug. 2026