accidental

1 of 2

adjective

ac·​ci·​den·​tal ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce accidental (audio)
1
a
: occurring unexpectedly or by chance
an accidental discovery
Their meeting was purely accidental.
b
: happening without intent or through carelessness and often with unfortunate results
The death was ruled accidental.
2
: arising from extrinsic causes : incidental, nonessential
3
of a bird : appearing outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season
accidentalness noun

accidental

2 of 2

noun

1
: a nonessential property
2
a
music : a note foreign to a key indicated by a signature
b
: a prefixed sign indicating an accidental
3
: a bird found outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season : vagrant

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between accidental and incidental?

Accidental describes what was not planned or intended. It means "happening by accident" or "happening as an accident," as in "an accidental discovery" and "an accidental injury." Incidental typically means "happening as a minor part or result of something else," as in "a chapter that is incidental to the novel's plot." For more information read the full article.

Do you say 'on accident' or 'by accident'?

While both "by accident" and "on accident" are used, "by accident" is far more common.

What does 'accident waiting to happen' mean?

The phrase "an accident waiting to happen" refers to a person or thing that is dangerous or unsafe. For example, a very clumsy person and a rickety ladder might both be referred to as "an accident waiting to happen."

Choose the Right Synonym for accidental

accidental, fortuitous, casual, contingent mean not amenable to planning or prediction.

accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

Examples of accidental in a Sentence

Adjective an accidental discovery of oil The timing of the announcement was purely accidental. The death was ruled accidental.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Educating them about cybersecurity risks and security hygiene can significantly reduce accidental breaches. Sameer Malhotra, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 In an emotional conversation with the Today show's Savannah Guthrie alongside Perry's other relatives, the late actor's mother opened up about her relationship with her son prior to his death last year following an accidental drug overdose. Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024 Share [Findings] Psychopaths recommend harsher punishments for homicides, whether accidental or motivated by profit, but exhibit relatively low concern about killing in general. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Attacks are extremely uncommon and deaths are largely accidental, but their sharp protruding bills make for deadly encounters when these fish can leap out of the water at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accidental 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accidental.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French accidentel, borrowed from Late Latin accidentālis, from Latin accident-, accidens accident + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin accidentālis, noun derivative of Late Latin accidentālis accidental entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of accidental was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near accidental

Cite this Entry

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidental. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

accidental

1 of 2 adjective
ac·​ci·​den·​tal ˌak-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl How to pronounce accidental (audio)
1
: happening unexpectedly or by chance
an accidental discovery of oil
2
: not happening or done on purpose
an accidental fall
accidentally
-ˈdent-lē How to pronounce accidental (audio)
-ˈdent-ᵊl-ē
adverb

accidental

2 of 2 noun
: a musical note whose pitch is changed (as by a sharp or a flat) from the pitch shown in the key signature

More from Merriam-Webster on accidental

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