avoid unintended

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "avoid unintended" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the importance of preventing unforeseen consequences or outcomes in various contexts, such as communication, actions, or decisions. Example: "To ensure clarity in our messaging, we must take steps to avoid unintended misunderstandings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The value of it is essentially to avoid unintended consequences.

The Guardian

The headline on this article was amended on 15 July 2016 to avoid unintended offence.

The Guardian - Opinion

These jurisdictions also help women avoid unintended pregnancies by making contraception widely available.

The New York Times

A typical excuse for delay is that legislators must proceed carefully to avoid unintended consequences.

The New York Times

The progress would be greater if more was done to avoid unintended pregnancies.

The New York Times

Many of them could be saved by services that help women avoid unintended pregnancies.

The New York Times

This article was amended on 16 August 2016 to avoid unintended offence.

The Guardian

Central to this is ensuring that all women have access to contraception to avoid unintended pregnancies.

The Guardian

Though the new law was constructed carefully to avoid unintended circumstances, it still carries significant risks.

The New York Times

We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future".

The New York Times - Tech

We are going to take another look and see what it is we have to do to avoid unintended consequences".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When drafting policies or plans, explicitly include risk assessments to identify potential unintended consequences and outline mitigation strategies to "avoid unintended" negative impacts. This demonstrates foresight and strengthens the overall robustness of the plan.

Common error

Don't assume you've covered all bases. Failing to conduct thorough impact assessments can lead to overlooking crucial variables, increasing the likelihood of "unintended" outcomes. Always consider diverse perspectives and potential ripple effects.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "avoid unintended" primarily functions as a purpose connector, indicating the reason or goal behind an action. As evidenced by Ludwig, this phrase is commonly used to express the need to prevent undesirable or unforeseen outcomes.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

34%

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "avoid unintended" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression that serves as a purpose connector. As confirmed by Ludwig, it emphasizes the importance of preventing unforeseen negative consequences in various contexts, including science, news, business, and more. It is advisable to consider potential outcomes comprehensively before taking actions to minimize unintended impacts. The register is primarily neutral to professional, making it suitable for diverse forms of communication. By implementing strategies such as impact assessments, decision-makers can proactively identify risks and prevent negative ripple effects, ensuring more robust and thoughtful results.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prevent unforeseen consequences

Replaces "avoid" with "prevent" and uses the more formal term "consequences" for a slightly more emphatic tone.

mitigate unintended effects

Substitutes "avoid" with "mitigate" implying a reduction in severity rather than complete prevention and uses "effects" as a direct synonym to consequences

forestall unintended outcomes

Uses "forestall" instead of "avoid", suggesting proactive action to prevent something from happening altogether. Outcomes and consequences are used as synonyms.

preclude unintended results

Replaces "avoid" with "preclude", indicating making something impossible and uses results in place of consequences or outcomes.

circumvent unintended repercussions

Employs "circumvent" which means to find a way around, and uses repercussions for consequences, highlighting the potential for negative impact.

head off unintended problems

Uses the idiomatic "head off" to convey preventing something, specifically focusing on "problems" as the unintended outcome.

steer clear of unintended side effects

Replaces "avoid" with the idiomatic "steer clear of", emphasizing caution and specifically mentioning "side effects" as the unintended result.

guard against unintended fallout

Employs "guard against", which implies protection and uses "fallout" to specifically refer to negative, often widespread, consequences.

dodge unintended implications

Uses "dodge" meaning to evade, suggesting skillfully avoiding something undesirable and implications can be negative or positive.

be wary of unintended consequences

Emphasizes caution by using "be wary of", focusing specifically on "consequences" as the potential unintended outcomes.

FAQs

How can I use "avoid unintended" in a sentence?

You can use "avoid unintended" when discussing the importance of preventing unforeseen consequences or outcomes in various contexts. For example, "The goal of the new policy is to "avoid unintended" negative impacts on small businesses".

What's a more formal way to say "avoid unintended"?

While "avoid unintended" is suitable for many contexts, more formal alternatives include "prevent unforeseen consequences" or "mitigate unintended effects".

Is it better to say "avoid unintended consequences" or "prevent unintended consequences"?

Both "avoid unintended consequences" and "prevent unintended consequences" are grammatically correct and widely used. The choice depends on the specific context and desired emphasis. "Prevent" suggests a more proactive approach.

What are common situations where I might want to use the phrase "avoid unintended"?

This phrase is useful in discussions about policy-making, project management, software development, and any other situation where actions could have unforeseen or negative consequences. It emphasizes the need for careful planning and risk assessment to "avoid unintended" results.