if something is unexpected, it surprises you because you were not expecting it an unexpected result an unexpected visitor The announcement was not entirely unexpected.
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Police officers must be prepared for the unexpected.
adverb They had arrived unexpectedly. an unexpectedly large bill The plane was unexpectedly delayed. Not unexpectedly, most local business depends on tourism. She died unexpectedly of a heart attack.
noun [uncountable] compare expect, expectedSee unexpected in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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