an unintentional error

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an unintentional error" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a mistake that was made without intention or purpose. Example: "The report contained an unintentional error that affected the final results."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Michael A. Cardozo, the city's corporation counsel, argued yesterday that the line in question was an unintentional error.

The New York Times

Citing unnamed sources in the president's office, Egyptian state media said the initial scheduling was an unintentional error and quickly fixed.

The New York Times

Specialists who have reviewed the problem say it was caused by an unintentional error when someone mistakenly capitalized the name of a computer server, writing MAIL2 instead of Mail2.

The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors overseeing the Roger Clemens perjury case said Friday that they made an unintentional error when showing jurors inadmissible evidence that led to Clemens's mistrial last month.

The New York Times - Sports

"We have completed a thorough review of each of Fareed Zakaria's columns for Time, and we are entirely satisfied that the language in question in his recent column was an unintentional error and an isolated incident for which he has apologized," a Time spokeswoman said in a statement on Thursday.

The New York Times

Chitika says this was an unintentional error in their tracking systems.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

In a written statement issued Friday, Hachette said that Ms. Goodall had agreed to delay the book's release because she wanted to "correct any unintentional errors".

The New York Times

i The sum of any intentional and any unintentional errors is over 100% because we found both kinds of errors in 18 cases: 12 cases belonging to the intervention group and 6 cases belonging to the control group.

BMC Health Services Research

Those laws included a mandatory minimum 10-year prison term for any error with an opioid prescription — even a minor unintentional error that did not lead to any misuse.

Los Angeles Times

But the weather on the day of MH370's flight was clear and sunny, so experts say it is unlikely that an experienced pilot could have caused a crash through unintentional error.

BBC

In a statement cited by the Associated Press, school board member Roberta Bergstedt said, "It was a huge but unintentional error and collected from the five students involved as soon as it was realized.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing mistakes, clearly state that the error was unintentional to avoid implications of negligence or malice. For instance, instead of saying "the error caused a delay", specify "the unintentional error caused a delay".

Common error

Avoid using "an unintentional error" as a blanket excuse without addressing the underlying cause. Acknowledge the error was unintentional, but also explain what steps are being taken to prevent similar errors in the future.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an unintentional error" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes a mistake that occurred without deliberate intent. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is perfectly acceptable and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an unintentional error" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe a mistake made without intent. Ludwig's analysis of numerous real-world examples highlights its prevalence in neutral registers, spanning across news, science, and business contexts. While Ludwig AI validates its correctness, it's crucial to acknowledge that simply labeling an error as "unintentional" isn't always sufficient. Effective communication requires addressing the cause and preventative measures to ensure future accuracy. Alternative phrases, such as "inadvertent mistake" or "accidental error", offer subtle nuances for expressing similar concepts, tailored to specific contexts. Furthermore, remember that while the phrase is usable, it's not about using it as an excuse without proposing resolutions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an inadvertent mistake

Replaces "error" with "mistake" and "unintentional" with "inadvertent", emphasizing lack of intention.

an accidental mistake

Substitutes "unintentional" with "accidental", highlighting the unplanned nature of the mistake.

an unintended blunder

Replaces "error" with "blunder", suggesting a more significant mistake made without intent.

an unforced fault

Uses "fault" instead of "error" and "unforced" to mean unintentional, implying the error wasn't due to external pressure.

a chance mistake

Replaces "unintentional" with "chance", highlighting the randomness of the error.

a careless slip

Substitutes both words to suggest a minor, unintentional mistake resulting from carelessness.

an unwitting transgression

Replaces "error" with "transgression" to denote a more serious, though unintentional, mistake.

an unconscious error

Uses "unconscious" instead of "unintentional", suggesting the person was unaware of making the error.

an unforeseen mistake

Emphasizes the unexpected nature of the mistake by using "unforeseen" instead of "unintentional".

a regrettable oversight

Focuses on the regret associated with the error, portraying it as an unintentional oversight.

FAQs

How can I use "an unintentional error" in a sentence?

You can use "an unintentional error" to describe a mistake made without intention. For example, "The discrepancy in the report was due to an unintentional error in data entry."

What's a good synonym for "an unintentional error"?

Alternatives include "an inadvertent mistake", "an accidental mistake", or "an unintended blunder", depending on the context and the severity of the error.

Is it better to say "unintentional error" or "intentional error"?

They describe opposite situations. "An unintentional error" refers to a mistake made without meaning to, whereas "intentional error" means a mistake was made on purpose.

What's the difference between "an unintentional error" and "an unintentional oversight"?

While both involve a lack of intent, "an unintentional error" is a general term for a mistake. "An unintentional oversight" specifically implies something was missed or neglected unintentionally.