unintended

adjective

un·​in·​tend·​ed ˌən-in-ˈten-dəd How to pronounce unintended (audio)
Synonyms of unintendednext
: not planned as a purpose or goal : not deliberate or intended
an unintended consequence/effect
an unintended pregnancy

Synonyms of unintended

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unintended in a Sentence

backyard digging that resulted in unintended damage to buried phone wires a response that yielded an unintended insight into her personal character
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.
Prosecutors argued at trial that Shirilla intentionally drove into the building to end her toxic relationship with Russo and that Flanagan was an unintended victim who happened to be in the car. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 An agent with legitimate credentials can perform actions that are technically authorized but operationally unintended. — Brian Contos, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors say the Grammy winner orchestrated a revenge hit on rival rapper Quando Rondo, but a 2022 gas station ambush near the Beverly Center killed unintended victim Saviay’a Robinson. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Experts say the realities of construction –– blasting through rock with dynamite, pouring concrete into natural landforms and storing water in reservoirs –– could have unintended effects. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintended

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unintended was in 1649

Rhymes for unintended

See All Rhymes for unintended

Browse Nearby Words

unintelligible
unintended
unintentional
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unintended.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintended. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All