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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spontaneous
not made or done willingly or by choice
an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unintentional
The 82-year-old panelist dropped the unintentional spoiler about the CBS series, which ended after five seasons in May, during Latifah’s visit to the Hot Topics table on Tuesday.
—
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Fans and social media users flooded his post with comments, showing their support for the player and hyping up his unintentional style choice in response.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
This can be unintentional or—here’s a shocker—some people can actually lie on the Internet.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
For the third time in three years, the number of individuals suffering unintentional deaths caused by drugs and alcohol has dropped, a trend that’s being mirrored on the national level.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintentional
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Fans and social media users flooded his post with comments, showing their support for the player and hyping up his unintentional style choice in response.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
This can be unintentional or—here’s a shocker—some people can actually lie on the Internet.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
For the third time in three years, the number of individuals suffering unintentional deaths caused by drugs and alcohol has dropped, a trend that’s being mirrored on the national level.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintentional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintentional
Adjective
-
Siri has been making accidental phone calls for us since 2012.—
Gelila,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Warner died unexpectedly in July from an accidental drowning in Costa Rica.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mid-century collective behavior theories considered social movements to be nonrational, spontaneous events occurring during moments of social and cultural breakdown.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
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This bill would entrench West Oakland and many other neighborhoods across the state as sacrifice zones, forcing us to deal with toxic chemicals and spontaneous fires for the sake of corporate profits.—
Brian Beveridge,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Years of underinvestment, rising costs, and a board unwilling to confront structural issues have destroyed value.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The church’s attorneys, for their part, said in their latest filing that the victims’ side appears unwilling to negotiate.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The politicians who authored the rules are unlikely to be around to face the mandate’s unintended consequences.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
But clearing the smellscape may have unintended consequences.—
Franklin Schneider,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unintentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintentional. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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