UNINTENTIONALLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

unintentionally

adverb

as in inadvertently

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unintentionally The Fresh Prince comment referred, unintentionally or not, to the infamous 2022 Oscar-night moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face after the latter made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026 The results range from remarkably accurate to unintentionally hilarious. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Dispose of Fall Decorations Seasonal decor like pumpkins and gourds also unintentionally invite an infestation of creepy crawlers. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026 Transformation scenes can be unintentionally laughable, and no one has fully figured out how to make a wolf-human hybrid look less like a fall-season impulse buy at Home Depot and more like a terrifically terrifying beast. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 As for the crack, well, that happened by accident when heavy equipment punched through a concrete wall and unintentionally punctured the sphere, company officials told The Mountaineer. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 These, um, freethinkers were unintentionally encouraged by what eventually became the airport's art program. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026 Bycatch — marine life caught unintentionally while fishers target something else — makes up 2% of the pollock fishery’s total catch. — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Gillis also drew some criticism for unintentionally saying the F-word during a sketch on SNL, and Gillis subsequently apologized. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintentionally

Adverb

In that moment, Wiley’s friend inadvertently hit another car while Wiley’s door was open.

— Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
This leads to River commandeering a woman’s car and inadvertently gaining a partner in her dog Monty, who doesn’t figure into the action but is most assuredly a Very Good Boy.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of inadvertently

Adverb

And one of the league's small market owners accidentally admitted that baseball is more profitable than one of the most famously lucrative industries on planet earth.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
With the audience already erupting in laughter, Magliano dug in her heels, poking fun at the United States’ strict broadcasting rules after Gillis accidentally dropped the F-bomb during a sketch.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of accidentally

Adverb

Anyone who waited by the stage door at London’s Trafalgar Theatre last year may well have unwittingly been offered a major clue about a development within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
When Jay encounters a giant squid being chased by a mammoth sperm whale, he’s unwittingly entangled in the former’s tentacles and swallowed up in one extended, terrifying sequence.

— David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of unwittingly

Adverb

And, fortuitously for would-be sponsors, something happened in tennis that made these arrangements even more appealing.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The earnings announcement was fortuitously timed, coming just as reports were surfacing of high-level OpenAI employees joining the company.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of fortuitously

Adverb

Neither phone should be used carelessly at the beach, but that higher dust rating offers a little more peace of mind.

— Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Combine them carelessly and you either gold-plate the commercial layer or under-build the safety-critical one.

— Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of carelessly

Adverb

The original 1971 experiment was conducted by psychology professor Philip Zimbardo, who arbitrarily split volunteers into two groups—inmates and guards—and observed how power corrupted them.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Mykola Murskyj, senior adviser on policy and strategy at the nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine, told the Washington Examiner that Zelensky isn’t just arbitrarily clinging to power — the entire country is wary of voting during wartime.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of arbitrarily

Adverb

Unfortunately, there are too many cases in which an individual is chosen casually and lacks the necessary skills.

— Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2026
Chromebooks casually offer a handful of advantages over regular computers, starting with faster startup times and response rates.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of casually

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unintentional

unintentionally

uninterested

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“Unintentionally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintentionally. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of unintentionally

adverb

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