accidental

¹ac·ci·den·tal

adjective \ˌak-sə-ˈden-t^əl\

Definition of ACCIDENTAL

1

: arising from extrinsic causes : incidental, nonessential

2

a : occurring unexpectedly or by chance

b : happening without intent or through carelessness and often with unfortunate results

— ac·ci·den·tal·ly \-ˈdent-lē, -ˈden-t^əl-ē\ also ac·ci·dent·ly \-ˈdent-lē\ adverb

— ac·ci·den·tal·ness \-ˈden-t^əl-nəs\ noun

Examples of ACCIDENTAL

1. an accidental discovery of oil
2. The timing of the announcement was purely accidental.
3. The death was ruled accidental.

First Known Use of ACCIDENTAL

14th century

Related to ACCIDENTAL

Synonyms

casual, chance, fluky (also flukey), fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, unwitting

Antonyms

calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, set

Related Words

coincidental; freak, odd; aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, random; uncertain, unexpected, unforeseeable, unforeseen; coerced, forced, involuntary; unconscious, unprompted

Near Antonyms

certain, destined, expected, fixed, foreordained, foreseeable, foreseen, inevitable, predestined, predetermined, predictable, preordained, prescribed, sure; conscious, freewill, knowing, unforced, voluntary, volunteer, willful (or wilful)

Synonym Discussion of 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>.

Rhymes with ACCIDENTAL

adjustmental, apartmental, biparental, compartmental, complemental, condimental, continental, departmental, detrimental, documental, excremental, elemental, firmamental, fundamental, governmental, grandparental, incidental, incremental, instrumental, managemental, monumental, nonjudgmental, occidental, oriental, ornamental, regimental, rudimental, sacramental, sentimental, supplemental, temperamental, transcendental

²accidental

noun

Definition of ACCIDENTAL

1

: a nonessential property

2

a : a note foreign to a key indicated by a signature

b : a prefixed sign indicating an accidental

First Known Use of ACCIDENTAL

1651

Rhymes with ACCIDENTAL

continental, detrimental, elemental, fundamental, incidental, instrumental, ornamental, sacramental, supplemental