inadvertent
When something happens by accident, it's inadvertent, or unintentional. The gas company assured you that the error in your bill was inadvertent and that they would fix it, but not before you blew off some steam.
If you break down the adjective inadvertent you find the word vert, from the Latin vertere, meaning "to turn." Advertent comes to mean "turning the mind to," and as the prefix in- means "not," inadvertent means “not turning the mind to,” or "not intending to." When your actions are inadvertent you're not paying attention to their consequences. Remember that inadvertent ends with -ent by remembering this sentence: “We inadvertently ripped the tent.”
-
happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally“with an inadvertent gesture she swept the vase off the table”synonyms: accidentalunintendednot deliberate
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing inadvertent
Centered around Okonkwo, an Igbo leader who is banished from his community, this novel explores the tension between white missionaries and tribal culture in Nigeria.
We’ve rounded up the top words heard, read, and discussed in the news this week. Take a look back at the week that was, vocabulary style.
"I before E except after C." It's weird how often spelling rules like that don't work in English! Instead of spending countless hours learning a ton of spelling rules and hundreds of exceptions, choose the Spelling Bee activity to brush up on these commonly misspelled English words. It's an ingenious way for you to become a spelling genius! Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6