Definition of accidental
1a : 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
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Examples of accidental in a Sentence
an accidental discovery of oil
The timing of the announcement was purely accidental.
The death was ruled accidental.
Synonym Discussion of accidental
accidental
Definition of accidental
1 : a nonessential property
2a music : a note foreign to a key indicated by a signatureb : a prefixed sign indicating an accidental
3 : a bird found outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season : vagrant
Origin and Etymology of accidental
Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin accidentālis, noun derivative of Late Latin accidentālis 1accidental
First Known Use: 14th century
ACCIDENTAL Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of accidental for English Language Learners
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: happening in a way that is not planned or intended : happening by accident : happening as an accident
ACCIDENTAL Defined for Kids
accidental
playDefinition of accidental for Students
1 : happening by chance or unexpectedly an accidental discovery
2 : not happening or done on purpose an accidental shooting
accidentally
adverb I broke it accidentally.Learn More about accidental
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See words that rhyme with accidental Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accidental Spanish Central: Translation of accidental Nglish: Translation of accidental for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of accidental for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about accidental
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