Ongewilde

Ongewilde is a Dutch adjective meaning undesired, unwanted, or unintentional, depending on the context. In English, the closest translations are unwanted, undesired, unintended, or involuntary. The word is formed from the negating prefix on- plus gewild (desired, intended), with gewild derived from willen (to want). Thus ongewilde conveys the absence of desire or deliberate choice.

Usage-wise, ongewilde describes things that occur or exist without being desired or chosen, or actions that are not deliberate. It is commonly found in medical, social, and practical contexts. Examples include ongewilde zwangerschap (unintended pregnancy), ongewilde bijwerkingen (unwanted side effects), and ongewilde reacties (unwanted reactions). In Dutch, the attributive form before a noun is often ongewilde, as in de ongewilde bijwerkingen or de ongewilde reacties; the base form ongewild may appear in other syntactic environments.

Relation to similar terms is nuanced.ongewenst is another common Dutch word for undesired and is often used in everyday language. It more directly signals desirability without explicitly stressing lack of choice. By contrast, ongewild tends to emphasize lack of voluntariness or intentionality, and it can appear in more formal or technical registers.

Overall, ongewilde functions as a versatile descriptor for outcomes, events, or conditions that are not desired or not deliberately produced, with usage patterns that vary by context and level of formality.

---