Etymologically
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unexpected

Etymology and origin of the English word unexpected

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1586

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from un- and expected, the past participle of expect.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not looked for or foreseen: before 1586 in the OED, the 1580s in Etymonline, about 1586 in MWU.[5][2][3]

Semantic evolution

Unexpectedly and unexpectedness follow.[2] As a noun, the unexpected is something one does not foresee.[6][7]

Timeline

  • c. 1586 – not foreseen.[5][3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Not expected; surprising or unforeseen.

Word family

  • unexpectedly
  • unexpectedness
  • unplanned
  • incidental
  • contingent
  • expect
  • expectation
  • expected

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Unexpected.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/unexpected. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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