unintended
adj.adj. happening by accident rather than on purpose. You use this to describe results or effects that you did not plan for.
adj. not planned or meant to happen; occurring without deliberate intent. Often used to describe secondary consequences or side effects.
The new law had several unintended effects on the economy.
While the software update fixed the security bug, it caused an unintended crash in the messaging system.
Economists often study the unintended consequences of policy changes, where a well-meaning intervention in one sector inadvertently creates a crisis in another due to complex market interdependencies.
From un- + intended.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typically used attributively before a noun; often pairs with 'consequences', 'effects', or 'results'.
Last updated May 7, 2026