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

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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 Between 15,000 and 22,000 Americans died each year from unintentional injuries at work, home and in transportation, per NCHS. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Jordan got on the board first in the 36th minute, when Mousa Al-Taamari set up Nizar Al-Rashdan with a perfect false touch – which looked like an unintentional mishit – giving the latter a clean berth to slot home a spinning ball with the outside of his right foot. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 The report also listed the leading causes of death in 2025, with the top three being estimated as heart disease with 694,708 deaths, cancer with 622,832 deaths and unintentional injuries with 184,265 deaths. — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 2 July 2026 From October 2023 to September 2025, Cook Children’s saw 121 unintentional gun injuries, five of which were fatal, according to Harley Roden, Aim for Safety program coordinator at Cook Children’s Center for Community Health. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintentional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintentional
  1. accidental
  2. spontaneous
  3. unwilling
  4. unintended
Adjective
  • Chomentowski lost her son in 2020 to an accidental drug overdose.
    — Brianna Wallen, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
  • Police said Rushing's cause of death was likely an accidental drowning.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of accidental
Adjective
  • That didn’t seem to dent the energy, with spontaneous Argentinian futbol songs breaking out among scrums of fans.
    — Matias Ocner, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Instead of limiting where an electric bike can go, its folding design creates more opportunities to ride, making spontaneous adventures easier than ever while still providing the comfort needed for longer distances.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 July 2026
Definition of spontaneous
Adjective
  • The cops posted outside of the nearby Swarovski and PINK stores are similarly unwilling to entertain my interrogations.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road, which connects the eastern and western halves of the park, makes the area accessible for those unwilling or unable to explore the backcountry on foot.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of unwilling
Adjective
  • And those unintended consequences wound up changing NBA free agency permanently.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • The creation of Amarone is one of the wine world’s great accidents, ranking right up there with the unintended secondary fermentation in bottle that created Champagne and the fermentation-stopping addition of neutral spirit to wine barrels that resulted in the production of Port.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 28 June 2026
Definition of unintended

Browse Nearby Words

unintended
unintentional
unintentionally
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Cite this Entry

“Unintentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintentional. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unintentional

Nglish: Translation of unintentional for Spanish Speakers

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