Standard Lemma guide

unintentionally

adv · 2 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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  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N IH0 N T EH1 N SH AH0 N AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: AH2 N IH0 N T EH1 N SH N AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Without meaning to, in an unintentional manner, not intentionally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accidentally, unwittingly, inadvertently, unintendedly, unintendingly

Antonyms: intentionally

2

adverb

Meaning 2

without intention; in an unintentional manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she hit him unintentionally

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accidentally

Antonyms: intentionally

History

Etymology

From unintentional + -ly or un- + intentionally.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَنْ غَفْلَةٍ (ʕan ḡaflatin) — in an unintentional manner
  • Arabic: عفوًا (ʕafwan) — in an unintentional manner
  • Catalan: involuntàriament — in an unintentional manner
  • Dutch: onbedoeld — in an unintentional manner
  • Finnish: sattumalta — in an unintentional manner
  • Finnish: vahingossa — in an unintentional manner
  • Finnish: epähuomiossa — in an unintentional manner
  • Finnish: erehdyksessä — in an unintentional manner
  • Finnish: huomaamatta — in an unintentional manner
  • French: involontairement — in an unintentional manner
  • French: inintentionnellement — in an unintentional manner
  • Galician: sen querer — in an unintentional manner
  • Galician: involuntariamente — in an unintentional manner
  • Georgian: უნებლიეთ (unebliet) — in an unintentional manner
  • German: unabsichtlich — in an unintentional manner
  • German: unbeabsichtigt — in an unintentional manner
  • German: ungewollt — in an unintentional manner
  • German: unfreiwillig — in an unintentional manner
  • Greek: άθελα (áthela) — in an unintentional manner
  • Italian: involontariamente — in an unintentional manner
  • Lithuanian: netyčia — in an unintentional manner
  • Polish: nieumyślnie — in an unintentional manner
  • Portuguese: sem querer — in an unintentional manner
  • Portuguese: involuntariamente — in an unintentional manner
  • Portuguese: despropositadamente — in an unintentional manner
  • Russian: непреднаме́ренно (neprednamérenno) — in an unintentional manner
  • Russian: неумы́шленно (neumýšlenno) — in an unintentional manner
  • Spanish: sin querer — in an unintentional manner
  • Spanish: involuntariamente — in an unintentional manner
  • Spanish: inintencionalmente — in an unintentional manner
  • Spanish: no intencionadamente — in an unintentional manner
  • Turkish: istemeden — in an unintentional manner
  • Turkish: istemsizce — in an unintentional manner
  • Turkish: yanlışlıkla — in an unintentional manner
  • Ukrainian: ненавми́сне (nenavmýsne) — in an unintentional manner
  • Ukrainian: ненавми́сно (nenavmýsno) — in an unintentional manner
  • Vietnamese: vô ý — in an unintentional manner
Real reading context

unintentionally in complete knowledge articles