unintended consequence

noun

unintended consequence

noun

Etymology Popularized by sociologist Robert K. Merton.

1

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.2019 May 4, Bret Stephens, “Facebook’s Unintended Consequence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Related terms: collateral damage, side effect, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.