unintended

/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛndɪd/

Say it: un-in-TEN-did

adjective Not planned, meant, or intended.
The new law had several unintended consequences for small businesses.

📖 Seen in the wild

The new policy had several unintended consequences, affecting areas it was not designed to address.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ unintended in a sentence

The policy change led to an unintended surge in applications, overwhelming the system.
My comment in the meeting had the unintended effect of making my colleague feel undermined.
The software update fixed one bug but introduced several unintended side effects.
His quest for justice had the unintended result of bringing ruin upon his own family.
The joke, meant to be lighthearted, sent an unintended message of disrespect.
Sorry, that was a totally unintended bump; this train is really crowded.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

unintentional accidental inadvertent unplanned unforeseen unexpected chance fortuitous

unintentional · focuses more on the actor's lack of purpose in the action itself.

accidental · suggests something happened purely by chance, often with a negative result.

inadvertent · implies the outcome was due to an oversight or lack of attention.

unplanned · highlights the absence of a pre-made plan or schedule.

Opposites: intended, deliberate, planned, intentional, calculated

🌱 Where it comes from

The word is a straightforward combination of the prefix 'un-', meaning 'not', and 'intended', the past participle of the verb 'intend'. 'Intend' itself comes from the Latin 'intendere', which means 'to stretch out' or 'to direct one's attention'. Therefore, 'unintended' literally describes something that was not aimed at or directed.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

unintended consequencesunintended effectunintended outcomeunintended pregnancyunintended victimunintended message

'Unintended' is most famously paired with 'consequences' to describe the unforeseen results of a decision, especially in policy, technology, or social systems. It differs subtly from 'unintentional', which more often describes the action itself rather than the result. For example, you might make an 'unintentional' typo that has the 'unintended' effect of confusing the reader. The word is neutral and suitable for any context.

Word family: intend, intention, intentional, unintentionally

💬 Quick answers

What does unintended mean?

It means something was not planned or meant to happen. It describes an outcome or result that was not part of the original goal.

What's the difference between unintended and unintentional?

'Unintended' usually describes the outcome or consequence of an action, like 'unintended effects'. 'Unintentional' typically describes the action itself, emphasizing the actor's lack of purpose, like 'an unintentional mistake'.

What is an example of an unintended consequence?

A classic example is a ban on a certain pesticide to protect one species, which then leads to an overpopulation of insects that harms another species. The harm to the second species was an unintended consequence of the ban.

Is 'unintended' a formal word?

'Unintended' is a neutral word that is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. It is commonly used in academic, professional, and everyday language.

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