Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Occurring without warning; unforeseen.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not expected; not looked for; unforeseen; sudden: often used substantively with the definite article: as, it is the unexpected that happens.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Not expected; coming without warning; sudden.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not expected, anticipated or foreseen.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective not expected or anticipated

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

un- +‎ expected

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Examples

  • So glad the writer resisted the term "unexpected drop". sartrecastic 12 April 2011 9:59AM

    The Guardian World News 2011

  • Israeli commandos said they opened fire in self-defense after meeting what they called unexpected resistance when they boarded the ferry carrying aid supplies to Gaza.

    Turkey wants to make peace with Israel 2010

  • The moral to this culture-jamming story: Beware banana creme and strategic and creative use of the unexpected is the perfect way to intervene.

    Who’s Fooling Whom? | PopPolitics.com 2005

  • The moral to this culture-jamming story: Beware banana creme and strategic and creative use of the unexpected is the perfect way to intervene.

    Who’s Fooling Whom? | PopPolitics.com 2005

  • Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan have chastised Hezbollah for what they described as unexpected, inappropriate, and irresponsible acts.

    CNN Transcript Jul 18, 2006 2006

  • This is what we call the unexpected, because no one expects them.

    CASTRO CALLS FOR SUSPENSION OF MEXICAN DEBT DUE 1985

  • Israeli commandos said they opened fire in self-defense after meeting what they called unexpected resistance when they boarded the ferry carrying aid supplies to Gaza.

    StarTribune.com rss feed 2011

  • Report Abuse You know they will adjust these figures in a month; to bleak... they always do, with the word "unexpected".....

    unknown title 2011

  • Israeli commandos said they opened fire in self-defense after meeting what they called unexpected resistance when they boarded the ferry carrying aid supplies to Gaza.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • Steve's response to the second email, which asked essentially the same question, was a tidy little, "Yes." delayed by one month as Apple struggles to keep up with what its calling unexpected demand.

    The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) Dave Caolo 2010

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