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Meaning & use

unplanned

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ʌnˈplænd/
US/ʌnˈplænd/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Not arranged or intended beforehand; happening by chance or without preparation.

    Grammar: Goes before a noun or after a verb: an unplanned visit, the trip was unplanned.

    Patterns

    • an unplanned stop
    • something is unplanned

    We made an unplanned stop at a roadside market and bought fresh peaches.

    The meeting was unplanned, so nobody had prepared any slides.

    Their unplanned reunion at the airport made the day special.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Describing a pregnancy that the parents did not intend or expect.

    Grammar: Usually comes before pregnancy or baby and is a neutral, sensitive term.

    Patterns

    • an unplanned pregnancy

    The clinic offers counseling for people facing an unplanned pregnancy.

    Their second child was unplanned but very welcome.

    Health services track the number of unplanned pregnancies each year.

Common combinations

unplanned visit
My aunt made an unplanned visit on Sunday.
unplanned expense
A broken pipe was a costly unplanned expense.
unplanned pregnancy
She spoke openly about her unplanned pregnancy.
unplanned outage
An unplanned outage left the website offline for an hour.
unplanned stop
The bus made an unplanned stop because of a flat tire.

Synonyms and how they differ

unexpected
Unexpected describes what you did not see coming, while unplanned describes what nobody arranged; a surprise party is expected by no one but still planned.
spontaneous
Spontaneous is positive and suggests natural, free action, while unplanned is simply neutral.
impromptu
Impromptu is used for speeches and performances done without preparation, and sounds more formal than unplanned.
unscheduled
Unscheduled is about timetables, such as an unscheduled flight stop, while unplanned is broader.

Opposites

plannedscheduleddeliberate

Word family

plan verb
to decide and arrange in advance
plan noun
an arrangement for doing something
planned adjective
arranged beforehand
planner noun
a person or book that organizes plans

Commonly confused: unplanned or unscheduled?

unplanned vs unscheduled

Unscheduled means not on a timetable, while unplanned means not thought out in advance at all.

Practice

The road was closed for an ___ repair, so the bus company had no time to warn passengers.

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