unforeseen

adjective

un·​fore·​seen ˌən-fȯr-ˈsēn How to pronounce unforeseen (audio)
Synonyms of unforeseen
: not anticipated or expected : not foreseen : unexpected
an unforeseen delay
unforeseen consequences

Synonyms of unforeseen

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unforeseen in a Sentence

there are almost always unforeseen consequences for any major endeavor unforeseen problems delayed the project beyond its deadline
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Barring some extremely unforeseen circumstances, the owners will immediately proceed to a lockout. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 And if there is any unforeseen delay, clients receive compensation for the inconvenience. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026 According to Saks, the campaign depicts how different levels of the store offer something unforeseen. — David Moin, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Defenders of the emergency fees, which can be levied by HOA boards to address health and safety hazards or unforeseen expenses, say that long-standing infrastructure issues must be addressed, even if residents don’t like the price tag. — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unforeseen

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unforeseen was in 1651

Rhymes for unforeseen

See All Rhymes for unforeseen

Browse Nearby Words

unforeseeable
unforeseen
unforest
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unforeseen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unforeseen. Accessed 27 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 milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All