Synonyms for unforeseen
- adjective
Most common
sudden unexpected unseen unanticipated accidental fortuitous
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Unexpected
2. Fortuitous
fortuitous, accidental, unintentional, casual, adventitious, causeless, serendipitous, incidental
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not foreseen.
- adj. 2
Not expected.
Example sentences
- sudden Don't take that dramatic attitude all of a sudden.
- unexpected The truth can often be found in unexpected places.
- unseen Espionage often goes unnoticed, but never unseen.
- unanticipated I arrived late because I ran into some unanticipated traffic.
- accidental The inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.
- fortuitous How fortuitous that you were there on the same night!
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| unforeseen | steady | |
| sudden | rising | |
| unexpected | rising | |
| unseen | rising | |
| unanticipated | rising | |
| accidental | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- sudden2, casual3, unseen2
- 9 letters
- causeless
- 10 letters
- unexpected4, accidental4, incidental4, fortuitous4
- 12 letters
- adventitious
- 13 letters
- unintentional5, unanticipated6, serendipitous5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (sudden2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- imprévu
- Italiano
- imprevisto
- Català
- imprevist