inadvertently

American  

[in-uhd-vur-tnt-lee] / ˌɪn ədˈvɜr tnt li /

adverb

1. unintentionally; without meaning to.

   I apologize to anyone I have inadvertently left off this list.

2. through lack of attention; without anyone noticing.

   There is the potential for one set of rules to inadvertently replace another.

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Etymology

Origin of inadvertently

inadvertent ( def. ) + -ly

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Explanation

Inadvertently is an adverb that means "without knowledge or intent," like when you inadvertently take someone else's coat from the coatroom because it looks just like yours. When you do something inadvertently, you don't mean to do it — you might inadvertently step in a puddle, leave something important at home, or hurt your friend's feelings. Some things that happen inadvertently aren't mistakes, though: They happen by chance. For example, if you just happen to park your car at the exact place that blocks a bus from hitting a pedestrian, you've inadvertently saved a life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inadvertently

Opening a local bank account can also inadvertently create additional reporting obligations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Some local officials said they were holding back over concerns that they would inadvertently violate the rules for spending the money — and would then have to pay it back, creating significant financial risk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

"Simplified models can inadvertently strip away the very stabilizing effect we want to capture."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

Anthropic subsequently disclosed that its models had also hacked other companies after inadvertently gaining internet access during cybersecurity tests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Jonathan turned, inadvertently smashing the gun butt against the doorframe.

From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi

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Related Words

• negligently
• recklessly

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