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Synonyms

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.

Etymology

Origin of inadvertently

inadvertent ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The scruffy schoolboy-look was rectified by an anonymous figure inadvertently stealing the situation's authority.

From BBC

Except he makes it a little too realistic, and Matt and Jay inadvertently get zapped back to 2008.

From The Wall Street Journal

In our quest to catch the neighborhood porch pirate, we’ve inadvertently built a dragnet that catches much more.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said any names brought to them that have been released "inadvertently" have been "immediately redacted".

From BBC

Show Racism the Red Card said the cultural influence held by football clubs "should be used to challenge racism, not inadvertently amplify narratives that undermine community harmony".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.