adj · noun · 4 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:/ˌʌnfɔːˈsiːn/
Canada, General-American:/ˌʌnfɔɹˈsin/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˌɐnfoːˈsiːn/
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˌanfɔːˈsiːn/
rhymes with -iːn
CMU ARPABET:AH2 N F AO0 R S IY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not foreseen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
unforeseen catastrophe
unforeseen consequences
unforeseen failure
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not expected.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An event, incident, cost, etc. that was not foreseen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
not anticipated- H.W.Glidden
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
unanticipated and disconcerting lines of development
unforeseen circumstances
a virtue unlooked-for in people so full of energy
like a bolt out of the blue
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unanticipated, unlooked-for, out of the blue(p)
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From un- + foreseen.
Across languages
Translations
51 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
непредви́ден
(nepredvíden)
— not foreseen
Catalan:
imprevist
— not foreseen
Czech:
nepředvídaný
— not foreseen
Danish:
uforudset
— not foreseen
Dutch:
onvoorzien
— not foreseen
Finnish:
ennennäkemätön
— not foreseen
French:
imprévu
— not foreseen
German:
unvorhergesehen
— not foreseen
Greek:
απρόβλεπτος
(apróvleptos)
— not foreseen
Greek:
απρόοπτος
(apróoptos)
— not foreseen
Hungarian:
előre nem látott
— not foreseen
Italian:
improvviso
— not foreseen
Italian:
imprevisto
— not foreseen
Latin:
imprōvīsus
— not foreseen
Malayalam:
ആകസ്മികം
(ākasmikaṁ)
— not foreseen
Māori:
whakaohorere
— not foreseen
Norwegian Bokmål:
uforutsett
— not foreseen
Old English:
unfōrescēawod
— not foreseen
Polish:
nieprzewidziany
— not foreseen
Portuguese:
imprevisto
— not foreseen
Russian:
непредусмо́тренный
(nepredusmótrennyj)
— not foreseen
Russian:
непредви́денный
(nepredvídennyj)
— not foreseen
Spanish:
imprevisto
— not foreseen
Spanish:
no antevisto
— not foreseen
Swedish:
oförutsedd
— not foreseen
Ukrainian:
непередба́чений
(neperedbáčenyj)
— not foreseen
Bulgarian:
неочакван
(neočakvan)
— not expected
Catalan:
imprevist
— not expected
Catalan:
inesperat
— not expected
Czech:
nepředvídaný
— not expected
Dutch:
onverwacht
— not expected
Finnish:
odottamaton
— not expected
French:
inattendu
— not expected
German:
unvorhergesehen
— not expected
German:
unerwartet
— not expected
Greek:
απρόσμενος
(aprósmenos)
— not expected
Greek:
απρόοπτος
(apróoptos)
— not expected
Hungarian:
váratlan
— not expected
Italian:
improvviso
— not expected
Italian:
inatteso
— not expected
Italian:
inaspettato
— not expected
Latin:
imprōvīsus
— not expected
Malayalam:
അപ്രതീക്ഷിതം
(apratīkṣitaṁ)
— not expected
Māori:
matawhawhati
— not expected
Norwegian Bokmål:
uforutsett
— not expected
Polish:
nieprzewidziany
— not expected
Polish:
niespodziewany
— not expected
Russian:
непредви́денный
(nepredvídennyj)
— not expected