adj. 1. Marked by or resulting from carelessness; negligent: an inadvertent error; an inadvertent omission. 2. Not deliberate or considered; unintentional: an inadvertent remark; inadvertent humor. See Synonyms at careless. 3. Not intending to be so; unwitting: "Physicians have already begun to take on the role of gatekeepers, inadvertent agents of selection ... deciding on the relative value of different human lives" (Robert Pollack). in′ad·vertent·ly adv. |
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