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unintentional
/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/
done without purpose or planning
The spill was an unintentional consequence of the experiment.
The spill happened accidentally, not as part of the plan.
general
Done or occurring without intention or purpose; accidental
Her unintentional comment hurt his feelings.
She didn't mean to say something that would upset him.
The damage was unintentional, caused by a technical failure.
The harm wasn't deliberate; it happened because of a system error.
Often used to clarify that an action or result was not planned or deliberate.
Collocations
unintentional errora mistake that wasn't meant to happenunintentional consequencean unexpected result of an action
Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'unintentional' to describe actions or results that were not planned or deliberate.
Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
While 'unintentional' is useful, avoid using it excessively when 'accidental' or 'unplanned' would suffice.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'unintentional', from 'un-' (not) + 'intentional' (done with purpose).
Usage Notes
Often used in legal, medical, and technical contexts to describe actions or outcomes that were not planned.
Word Breakdown
un-
not
prefixintentional
done with purpose
rootEnglish Dictionary