Meaning & use
unexpected outcome
Last updated
Meanings
phrasecountable
a result that is different from what was planned, predicted, or thought likely to happen
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an unexpected outcome' or 'unexpected outcomes'.
Patterns
- an unexpected outcome of something
- an unexpected outcome for someone
- lead to an unexpected outcome
- have an unexpected outcome
The unexpected outcome of the election surprised everyone.
We ran the experiment, but the unexpected outcome meant we had to rethink our theory.
The unexpected outcome for the company was a sharp rise in sales.
phrasecountable
a final result that happens without being planned or intended
Grammar: Often used with 'by' or 'as': 'by an unexpected outcome' or 'as an unexpected outcome'.
Patterns
- by an unexpected outcome
- as an unexpected outcome
The meeting ended by an unexpected outcome: everyone agreed.
The trial concluded as an unexpected outcome for the lawyers.
Word forms
| plural | unexpected outcomes |
|---|
Common combinations
- an unexpected outcome of
- The unexpected outcome of the merger was a loss of jobs.
- produce an unexpected outcome
- The new policy produced an unexpected outcome.
- lead to an unexpected outcome
- Poor planning can lead to an unexpected outcome.
- a completely unexpected outcome
- The match had a completely unexpected outcome.
- an unexpected outcome for
- It was an unexpected outcome for the research team.
Synonyms and how they differ
- surprise
- A more general word for an unexpected event or result; 'surprise' can be pleasant or unpleasant, while 'unexpected outcome' is neutral and focuses on the result.
- unforeseen result
- Similar meaning, but 'unforeseen' emphasizes that no one could have predicted it, whereas 'unexpected' just means it was not expected.
- unanticipated consequence
- More formal and often used in academic or policy contexts; it stresses that the result was not thought of in advance.
Opposites
Word family
- unexpectedly adverb
- In a way that is not expected: 'The team won unexpectedly.'
- unexpectedness noun
- The quality of being unexpected: 'The unexpectedness of the news shocked us.'
- outcome noun
- A result or effect of an action or situation: 'The outcome of the talks is still unclear.'
Commonly confused: unexpected outcome or unexpected result?
unexpected outcome vs unexpected result
Very similar, but 'result' is more common in everyday speech; 'outcome' is slightly more formal and often used for events with a clear end point.
Practice
The scientists were surprised by the ______ of their experiment.
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'unexpected outcome' fits because it is a singular countable noun phrase after 'the'. 'Unexpectedly' is an adverb and cannot modify a noun. 'Unexpected outcomes' is plural and would need a plural context, but 'the' and 'was' indicate singular.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unexpected outcome”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.