Unexpectedly means in a way that surprises you because you didn't see it coming. When something happens unexpectedly, it catches you off guard.

If you're walking to school on an ordinary Tuesday and it suddenly starts snowing in April, that snow arrived unexpectedly. When a quiet student who never raises their hand suddenly answers the hardest question in class, they performed unexpectedly well. The word captures that moment when reality takes a turn you didn't predict.

Not all surprises are unexpected, though. If your parents promise you a birthday present, getting one isn't unexpected even if you don't know exactly what it will be. But if your grandmother shows up at your birthday party, flying in from across the country without telling anyone, that's unexpected. You had no reason to think it would happen.

Things that happen unexpectedly can be wonderful, terrible, or just interesting. A pop quiz appears unexpectedly. So does a snow day, a visiting friend, or a meteor shower. The key is that you weren't looking for it, planning on it, or thinking it would happen when it did.