UNINTENTIONALLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

unintentionally

adverb

as in inadvertently

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 Jimothy’s popularity has — perhaps unintentionally — raised public awareness of the importance of accepting people with illness or disability. — Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 Ford said Thursday that Trump unintentionally strengthened Canada by forcing it to reduce its dependence on the United States. — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Otto, the executive director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center and a University of Pennsylvania professor, said that although search and rescue dogs are not trained as therapy dogs, that unintentionally became part of their role at ground zero. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 During her April 2024 trial, prosecutors accused Read of drunkenly hitting and killing O’Keefe with her car, either intentionally or unintentionally while being under the influence. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026 But manoomin has been disappearing throughout Wisconsin because of disease exacerbated by climate change and reckless boaters and lakeside property owners who destroy the crop, either intentionally or unintentionally. — Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Marketing agents, sales agents, and service workflows may each optimize for local objectives while unintentionally fragmenting the broader customer narrative. — Harvard Business Review, 4 Sep. 2026 In an unintentionally Dickensian fashion, a recent batch of BLS reports provided some deeper context as to how the labor market is being reshaped. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter. — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintentionally

Adverb

Instead, Freddie inadvertently changed the trajectory of my life and career.

— Anna Heyward, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
And in newer properties, renovations sometimes inadvertently reduce a hotel’s sound rating.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of inadvertently

Adverb

The needle accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung, causing chest pain and difficulty breathing.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The confession came as Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones reacted to a video of a mom digging through a ball pit after her daughter accidentally dropped her phone inside.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of accidentally

Adverb

Geisinger isn’t the only hospital where young patients have unwittingly been exposed.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
The homeowner, Brett Bymaster, lauded officers for ending the chaotic situation swiftly and without any harm to his adult children, son-in-law, and young grandchildren who were unwittingly ensnared in the encounter.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of unwittingly

Adverb

Likewise, a professional who identifies strongly with a particular school of thought — in economics, medicine, management, or technology — will tend to unconsciously favor sources that reinforce that framework and discount those that challenge it.

— Big Think, Big Think, 21 Aug. 2026
But in reality, of course, this is just happening almost unconsciously.

— Jinae West, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of unconsciously

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

Jasson Domínguez, still a liability on defense, carelessly let a leadoff single bounce past him and roll to the wall in right for a two-base error, but Cole managed to strand the runner at third and logged a scoreless frame.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Omar Alderete, O’Nien’s second-half replacement, carelessly did the same thing for the late winner.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of carelessly

Adverb

The king arbitrarily gives up his power and divides his kingdom among his children.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The plaintiffs also argue the city has not conducted a proper analysis of how the city-run stores will affect local businesses, alleging city officials selected sites arbitrarily and failed to study neighborhood needs.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrarily

Adverb

Some looked younger than thirty and were dressed casually, while others already looked the part of the candidate, in suits or high heels.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
She’s casually seated on a couch, soft-spoken, and sometimes pausing to search for the right words in English.

— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of casually

Browse Nearby Words

unintentional

unintentionally

uninterested

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unintentionally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintentionally. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unintentionally

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shofar

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes