inadvertent

adjective

ˌi-nəd-ˈvər-tᵊnt How to pronounce inadvertent (audio)
Definition of inadvertentnext
as in accidental
happening by chance an inadvertent encounter with a rattlesnake in the brush

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inadvertent After their inadvertent reintroduction, Gordon and Ashley’s friends beg them not to get back together. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 Parkinson has become the latest inadvertent symbol of a growing movement that believes children need more independence. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 There was an inadvertent breach of the league’s rules in their opening game against Hull City, when the team wore the badge on only one sleeve. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 An inadvertent hack carried out by OpenAI models on Hugging Face in July ignited concerns about AI agents running amok and prompted some technology and government leaders to renew calls for curbs on the technology. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inadvertent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadvertent
accidental
Adjective
  • The task for the printmakers, led by Erik Hougen, Jeremy Ruiz, and Tom Smith, was to reproduce the jottings, corrections, and accidental smears on Safdie’s notecard as faithfully as possible, and also to scale it up in size.
    — Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Good news for Boeing, but could this accidental monopoly be a potential disaster waiting to happen?
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of accidental

Browse Nearby Words

inadvertency
inadvertent
inadvertently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inadvertent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadvertent. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All