unintentional
adjective
un·in·ten·tion·al ˌən-in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl 
: not done by intention or design : not intentional
an unintentional effect
causing unintentional harm/offense
unintentionally adverb
an unintentionally offensive remark
Examples of unintentional in a Sentence
an unintentional encounter with an old classmate at the mall an unintentional insult that nevertheless was very hurtful
Recent Examples on the Web
But how intentional or unintentional was the ‘80s vibe? —
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026 Daniel Pen-mong Moua, 21, was sentenced Tuesday by Ramsey County District Judge Nicole Starr after pleading guilty to second-degree unintentional murder last month in the July 13 attack on James Dale Thurber in the city’s North End. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026 Among other things, Turner cited HUD's proposal to end liability for unintentional discrimination, known as disparate impact, which advocates say can address hidden discrimination in things like hiring, education and housing. —Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026 Were there any things that happened during the filming of the special that were unexpected that kind of stood out to you as far as maybe some unintentional humor? —Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintentional
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.
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026 Daniel Pen-mong Moua, 21, was sentenced Tuesday by Ramsey County District Judge Nicole Starr after pleading guilty to second-degree unintentional murder last month in the July 13 attack on James Dale Thurber in the city’s North End. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026 Among other things, Turner cited HUD's proposal to end liability for unintentional discrimination, known as disparate impact, which advocates say can address hidden discrimination in things like hiring, education and housing. —Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026 Were there any things that happened during the filming of the special that were unexpected that kind of stood out to you as far as maybe some unintentional humor? —Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintentional
Cite this Entry
“Unintentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/unintentional. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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