Meaning & use

inadvertently

adverb·Academic

Without intention; by accident, often because of carelessness or a lack of attention.

See it in a sentence

She inadvertently deleted the file while trying to clean up her desktop.

He inadvertently revealed the surprise party by mentioning it on the phone.

A note on using this word

Suggests a slip caused by inattention, unlike 'accidentally', which can also describe pure chance.

Words with a similar meaning

accidentallyunintentionally

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

deliberatelyintentionally

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