adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɪnədˈvɜːtn̩t/
General-American:/ˌɪnədˈvɝtn̩t/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N AH0 D V ER1 T AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH2 N AE0 D V ER1 T AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not intentional; not on purpose; not conscious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
We check everything because an inadvertent error could be disastrous.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Inattentive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
with an inadvertent gesture she swept the vase off the table
accidental poisoning
an accidental shooting
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: accidental
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin inadvertēns.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
неумишлен
(neumišlen)
— not intentional
Chinese Mandarin:
疏忽的
— not intentional
Chinese Mandarin:
漫不经心的
— not intentional
Chinese Mandarin:
粗心大意的
— not intentional
Danish:
utilsigtet
— not intentional
Dutch:
onopzettelijk
— not intentional
Esperanto:
senvola
— not intentional
Finnish:
tahaton
— not intentional
French:
involontaire
— not intentional
German:
versehentlich
— not intentional
German:
irrtümlich
— not intentional
German:
unbeabsichtigt
— not intentional
German:
unabsichtlich
— not intentional
Icelandic:
óviljandi
— not intentional
Italian:
involontario
— not intentional
Manx:
neurioosagh
— not intentional
Māori:
pokerehū
— not intentional
Māori:
kōpeka
— not intentional
Norwegian:
utilsiktet
— not intentional
Portuguese:
inadvertido
— not intentional
Romanian:
fârâ voie
— not intentional
Romanian:
accidental
— not intentional
Romanian:
nedorit
— not intentional
Romanian:
fârâ intenție
— not intentional
Russian:
неумышленный
(neumyšlennyj)
— not intentional
