unintended consequence

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unintended consequence

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Popularized by sociologist Robert K. Merton.

noun unintended consequences · unanticipated consequence · unforeseen consequence

in plural An outcome of a purposeful action that is not intended or foreseen. Over the past several years we’ve learned a lot about the unintended consequences of social media. Platforms intended to bring us closer together make us angrier and more isolated.

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MLA

"unintended consequence." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/unintended%20consequence. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

unintended consequence. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/unintended%20consequence

Chicago

"unintended consequence." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/unintended%20consequence.

BibTeX

@misc{unintended_consequence_2026,
  title = {unintended consequence},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/unintended%20consequence},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}