Unintentionally Meaning in English
word · lemma: unintentional
ˌənɪnˈtɛnʃənəɫi/, /ˌənɪnˈtɛnʃnəɫi
uhn-in-TEN-shuh-nuh-lee
ˌʌnɪntˈɛnʃənəli
un-in-TEN-shuh-nuh-lee
Definition
If you do something unintentionally, you do it without meaning to or by accident, not on purpose.
Usage & Nuances
Commonly used in formal and informal contexts to contrast with 'intentionally' or 'on purpose.' Usually placed before the verb ("He unintentionally broke it"), but sometimes at the end. Not interchangeable with 'accidentally' in all cases—'unintentionally' is more formal.
Spanish: sin querer - involuntariamentePortuguese (BR): sem querer - involuntariamentePortuguese (PT): sem querer - involuntariamenteChinese (Simplified): 无意地 - 不小心Chinese (Traditional): 無意地 - 不小心Hindi: अनजाने में - बिना इरादा किएArabic: عن غير قصد - دون عمدBengali: অনিচ্ছাকৃতভাবে - অজান্তেRussian: непреднамеренно - непроизвольноJapanese: 意図せず - 無意識にVietnamese: không cố ý - vô tìnhKorean: 의도치 않게 - 무심코Turkish: istemeden - istemsizceUrdu: غیر ارادتاً - انجانے میںIndonesian: tanpa sengaja - tidak dengan sengaja
Example Sentences
He unintentionally hurt her feelings.
basic
I left the door open unintentionally last night.
basic
She unintentionally made a mistake on the form.
basic
If I said anything rude, it was unintentionally.
natural
You might unintentionally offend someone with that joke.
natural
Sometimes, we unintentionally repeat ourselves in conversation.
natural