unintentionally

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəli/ UK /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəli/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adv
without intending to; accidentally

He unintentionally insulted the host with his joke.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · without intending to;... accidentally inadvertently unwittingly unconsciously

Opposites

intentionally deliberately purposely knowingly

Word family

Related forms intention intentional unintentional intend

Etymology

From unintentional (un- 'not' + intentional, from Latin intentio 'a stretching, purpose', from intendere 'to stretch toward') + -ly.

un- Old English intendere Latin tendere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unintentionally

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəli/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənəli/

## Meanings
1. without intending to; accidentally

## Examples
- He unintentionally insulted the host with his joke.

## Synonyms
- accidentally
- inadvertently
- unwittingly
- unconsciously

## Antonyms
- intentionally
- deliberately
- purposely
- knowingly

## Related Forms
- intention
- intentional
- unintentional
- intend

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: intendere
- Root: tendere

## Etymology
From unintentional (un- 'not' + intentional, from Latin intentio 'a stretching, purpose', from intendere 'to stretch toward') + -ly.

## AI Etymology
Unintentionally is from unintentional (un- 'not' + intentional, from Latin intentio 'a stretching, purpose', from intendere 'to stretch toward') + -ly. Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), intendere (Latin), and tendere (Latin). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers without intending to; accidentally. The wider family includes related words such as intention, intentional, unintentional, and intend.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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