inadvertently
Americanadverb
-
unintentionally; without meaning to.
I apologize to anyone I have inadvertently left off this list.
-
through lack of attention; without anyone noticing.
There is the potential for one set of rules to inadvertently replace another.
Etymology
Origin of inadvertently
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.
Vocabulary lists containing inadvertently
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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.
We’ve become so enamored by this void that we inadvertently trapped ourselves inside of it, mourning the past that slipped away before we had a chance to say goodbye.
From Salon • May 30, 2026
Moreover, you may be inadvertently loaded with technology and communications stocks due to their high concentration in the S&P 500—accounting for more than 40% of the index.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
A “gamma squeeze” happens when options dealers hedging their books inadvertently leads to a big jump in a given stock.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
Out of fear that he could inadvertently harm his wife, they now sleep in separate beds.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Do careful writers who inadvertently flout the rule agree, when the breach is pointed out, that something has gone wrong?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
