unintentional

adjective

ˌən-in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl
Definition of unintentionalnext
1
as in accidental
happening by chance an unintentional encounter with an old classmate at the mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spontaneous
not made or done willingly or by choice an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unintentional 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 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 But leaving a stone or steel in the bottom of your oven could subject it to unintentional splatters and spills. — Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintentional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintentional
  1. accidental
  2. spontaneous
  3. unwilling
  4. unintended
Adjective
  • Healthcare workers will often wear personal protective equipment, such as an N95 mask, or even a full body suit in case of accidental exposure.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • His death at 33 was ruled accidental, but rumors persist drugs played a role.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of accidental
Adjective
  • Occasional moments of real, spontaneous joy emerge, and others reveal the crushing emptiness of lives going nowhere, but the script doesn’t lean too hard in either direction.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The charismatic and spontaneous Tammy Faye earned a reputation for speaking her mind, sometimes in off-color ways, that brought her legions of fans.
    — John Wigger, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of spontaneous
Adjective
  • Blocks from the main entrance to Southern University A&M, a small crowd hung around a convenience store, but people were unwilling to talk about politics, eyeing strangers suspiciously.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or were certain companies unwilling to take on the incendiary film due to their increasingly direct connections to Big Tech?
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of unwilling
Adjective
  • Some have died in gruesome, unintended situations involving blood or flames.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The same technology that is delivering extraordinary productivity is raising very real questions about access, control and unintended actions.
    — Mia Urman, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of unintended

Browse Nearby Words

unintended
unintentional
unintentionally
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unintentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintentional. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All