Ungewollt

Ungewollt is a German adjective and, in some uses, an adverb meaning “unwanted” or “unintended.” It describes something that is not desired by someone or was not planned. The term is commonly applied to people, events, or outcomes to express lack of desire or voluntariness in a given context.

Etymology and sense: Ungewollt is formed from the negation prefix un- and the participle gewollt, meaning “wanted” or “desired.” Therefore ungewiollt literally conveys “not wanted” or “not intended.” In usage, it can convey both moral or emotional disapproval (unwanted behavior or consequences) and practical non-intent (unintended results). It is often contrasted with beabsichtigt (intended) and unbeabsichtigt (unintended in a more neutral sense).

Usage: The phrase is frequent in medical, social, and everyday discourse. Examples include “eine ungewollte Schwangerschaft” (an unwanted pregnancy), “ungewollte Folgen” (unwanted or unintended consequences), and “eine ungewollte Berührung” (an unwanted touch). In some contexts, ungewollt emphasizes lack of desirability, while unbeabsichtigt stresses lack of intention.

Grammar: As an adjective, ungewollt follows standard German adjective endings when used attributively: “eine ungewollte Nachricht,” “ungewollte Aufmerksamkeit.” Predicative use is possible but less common, and in many contexts speakers prefer phrases such as “nicht beabsichtigt” or “unbeabsichtigt.”

Related terms: unbeabsichtigt (unintended), beabsichtigt (intended), ungewollt contrasts with gewollt (wanted) and with synonyms like unerwünscht in some contexts.

See also: German adjective endings, negation prefixes, gewollt, unbeabsichtigt.