unanticipated

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "unanticipated" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to something that was not expected or foreseen, such as an event or circumstance. For example, "The company was caught off-guard by the sudden and unanticipated drop in sales."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

If it has problems now, they are of the sort that attend unanticipated success: on holiday weekends especially, the site attracts overflow crowds.

The Guardian

They could do that, but Rieder notes that that, too, has some unanticipated and economically unhelpful consequences.

The Guardian - Money

I don't think there's much in the way of unanticipated side effects that are going to be bad there.

The Economist

One unanticipated sequence of events was a hostile bid from Bank of Scotland (BoS) followed by an "unsolicited" bid from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

The Economist

It is in large part the unanticipated by-product of an attempt to build a defence business through the purchase of Westland Helicopters in 1994.

The Economist

It's an unanticipated consequence of the Justice and Peace Law .It also shows how widespread penetration of politics and government by the paramilitaries was.

The Economist

But it has also had unanticipated effects.For instance, Gregg Erickson, an economist in Anchorage, reckons that the state's population of about 600,000 is 10% higher than it would be without the Permanent Fund.

The Economist

The Canadians also have a knack for picking out unanticipated hits, such as the feature-length documentary "Roger & Me" (1989), in which Michael Moore first came to public notice with his dogged questioning of Roger Smith, then chief executive of General Motors, about the effects of the company's lay-offs on the town of Flint in Michigan.

The Economist

According to Gavyn Davies, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, the unanticipated depth of the British recession, the strength of Germany's post-unification boom, and the lack of co-operation from the Bundesbank and the French government in helping Britain to secure an ERM-wide realignment all highlighted serious, previously unrecognised, flaws in the ERM.

The Economist

If they succeed, they will put an unanticipated load on the system.

The Economist

At first, a sudden unanticipated spurt of inflation could lead to rapid economic growth.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "unanticipated" to add a touch of formality when describing events or outcomes that were not foreseen. This can be particularly effective in business reports or academic papers.

Common error

While "unanticipated" is suitable for formal contexts, avoid consistently replacing simpler words like "unexpected" in everyday writing. Overuse can make your writing sound stilted.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "unanticipated" primarily functions to modify nouns, indicating that the noun it modifies (e.g., success, consequence, side effect) was not expected or predicted. As confirmed by Ludwig, it’s correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Science

24%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "unanticipated" is a versatile adjective used to describe events or outcomes that were not expected or foreseen. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in various contexts. While it can often be interchanged with synonyms like "unexpected" or "unforeseen", "unanticipated" often carries a more formal tone, making it suitable for business, academic, and news contexts. While widely utilized, it is important to avoid overuse in informal writing to prevent sounding unnatural. Common usages include describing "unanticipated" consequences, delays, or growth. Key sources employing the term include The Economist and The Guardian.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Unexpected

Simple replacement with a direct synonym.

Unforeseen

Emphasizes the lack of prior vision or planning.

Unpredicted

Highlights the absence of a prior prediction.

Unforetold

Similar to unforeseen, but with a sense of something not having been revealed in advance.

Unimagined

Stresses that something was beyond the realm of possibility in one's mind.

Uncontemplated

Suggests that something was not considered or thought about beforehand.

Unlooked-for

Implies something that occurred without being sought or anticipated.

Unheralded

Conveys a sense of surprise due to the lack of prior indication or warning.

By surprise

An idiomatic expression highlighting the sudden and unexpected nature of an event.

Out of the blue

Suggests something very unexpected and sudden.

FAQs

How can I use "unanticipated" in a sentence?

You can use "unanticipated" to describe something that was not expected or foreseen, for example: "The project faced unanticipated delays" or "The company experienced unanticipated growth this quarter".

What can I say instead of "unanticipated"?

You can use alternatives like "unexpected", "unforeseen", or "unpredicted" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "unanticipated event" or "unexpecting event"?

"Unanticipated event" is the correct and more commonly used phrase. "Unexpecting" is rarely used in this context.

What's the difference between "unanticipated" and "unexpected"?

While both words indicate something not foreseen, "unanticipated" often implies a higher degree of formality and a more thorough lack of preparation than "unexpected".