Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Not deliberate or intentional; unplanned.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not intended; unplanned

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective not deliberate

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

un- +‎ intended

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Examples

  • “Do you understand the term unintended consequences?”

    American Assassin Vince Flynn 2010

  • As the sizable percentage of women who say they "didn't mind" the prospect of getting pregnant demonstrates, there's nuance hiding within the term "unintended pregnancy."

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2012

  • As the sizable percentage of women who say they "didn't mind" the prospect of getting pregnant demonstrates, there's nuance hiding within the term "unintended pregnancy."

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2012

  • The term unintended pregnancy sums it up- neither the man or woman was planning for a pregnancy.

    Choice For Men: Do Feminists and Pro-Lifers Make The Same Argument? 2005

  • WASHINGTON MarketWatch - The phrase "unintended consequences" has rarely been uttered as often as by the representatives of the banks, retailers, consumers and network operators that gathered here Tuesday to discuss the proposed debit-card interchange fee rules that are due to go in effect later this year.

    MarketWatch.com - Top Stories 2011

  • As the former leader of Chicago Public Schools, Duncan lived through what he called the unintended consequences of President Bush's No Child Left Behind law.

    Translating Arne Duncan Jim Horn 2009

  • As the former leader of Chicago Public Schools, Duncan lived through what he called the unintended consequences of President Bush's No Child Left Behind law.

    Archive 2009-02-01 Jim Horn 2009

  • BASH: McCain said he wanted to start vetting VP contenders now to avoid what he called unintended consequences like in 1988, when George H.W. Bush picked Dan Quayle, who faced questions about his National Guard service that surprised the campaign.

    CNN Transcript Apr 2, 2008 2008

  • McCain said he wanted to start vetting V.P. contenders now to avoid what he called unintended consequences like in 1988, when George H.W. Bush picked Dan Quayle.

    CNN Transcript Apr 2, 2008 2008

  • BASH: McCain said he wanted to start vetting V.P. contenders now to avoid what he called unintended consequences like in 1988, when George H.W. Bush picked Dan Quayle, who faced questions about his National Guard service that surprised the campaign.

    CNN Transcript Apr 2, 2008 2008

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