Unintentional

Unintentional is an adjective describing actions, outcomes, or consequences that occur without conscious purpose or design. It denotes a lack of intent rather than a deliberate decision. In everyday language it contrasts with intentional, deliberate, or willful behavior. Related terms include inadvertent, accidental, and incidental, which capture nuances such as mistakes made without awareness or by circumstance rather than planning.

In law, distinctions around intent influence liability. Many legal frameworks treat actions that are unintentional as non-criminal if there is no mens rea, but may still give rise to liability through negligence or strict liability. For example, unintentional injuries from a slip and fall may lead to a negligence claim if a duty of care existed and was breached. In criminal law, unintended harm can lead to lesser charges such as manslaughter if recklessness or negligence is involved.

In ethics and social theory, unintentional harm raises questions about responsibility that extend beyond explicit intent. People can be morally responsible for consequences they could have foreseen or prevented, even without an intention to harm. Scientific and policy discussions also consider unintended consequences of actions, where well-intentioned efforts lead to outcomes that were not anticipated.

Used in everyday language to describe mistakes, accidents, or oversights, unintentional emphasizes the absence of intent rather than the lack of impact.