unintended consequence
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Popularized by sociologist Robert K. Merton.
Noun
unintended consequence (plural unintended consequences)
- (originally sociology, in the plural) An outcome of a purposeful action that is not intended or foreseen.
- 2019 May 4, Bret Stephens, “Facebook’s Unintended Consequence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- 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.
See also
Further reading
unintended consequences on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
