inadvertently.

Without intending to do it or noticing it at the time.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• inadvertently omitted
• inadvertently revealed
• inadvertently caused

On the page

A change in punctuation inadvertently reversed the intended meaning.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Invariable adverb. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, qualification. Commonness: moderately common.