Etymologically
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unintended

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Pronunciation

  • /ˌʌn.ɪnˈtɛn.dɪd/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + intended, the past participle of intend.[2][3][4] The verb intend is from Old French entendre (“to direct one's attention”), from Latin intendō (“to stretch out; to turn one's attention”), from in- (“toward”) and tendō (“to stretch”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not intended: 1649, in John Milton's Eikonoklastes.[2] Etymonline dates it to the 1640s,[3] and the Shorter Oxford to the mid 17th century.[4]

Semantic evolution

Etymonline notes that it was used from the start of anything not intended, in any sense.[3] Merriam-Webster gives the narrower sense "not deliberate" as the main one.[5] The adverb unintendedly followed in the late 18th century.[4]

Timeline

  • 1649 – not intended, in Milton.[2][3]
  • late 18th century – the adverb unintendedly.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not intended or planned; not deliberate: The new tax had several unintended effects on small shops.[6][5][2]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins