Definition of inadvertently

The origin of the word "inadvertently" can be traced back to the late 16th century. The root words for "inadvertently" are "in-" which means "not" or "without," and "advert" which comes from the Middle English word "averten" meaning "to ward off." In the late 1500s, the word "inadvertently" appeared in English writings as a combination of these two roots. It was used to describe actions that were unintended or unexpected, almost as a synonym for "unintentionally" or "unwittingly." The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) notes the earliest use of the word "inadvertently" in an English publication as being in a work by the poet Edmund Spenser in 1596. In that context, the word was used to describe how a narrator in one of Spenser's poems had lost a piece of molded wax used to create seals, having unintentionally knocked it out of his hand. Throughout the centuries, the usage of "inadvertently" has remained consistent, with the OED pointing out that the original meaning of the word hasn't significantly changed over time. Today, "inadvertently" is commonly used in writing and speech to describe events, actions, or comments that were made without deliberate intent.