Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective accidental differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of accidental are casual, contingent, and fortuitous. While all these words mean "not amenable to planning or prediction," accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

When might casual be a better fit than accidental?

In some situations, the words casual and accidental are roughly equivalent. However, casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

When is it sensible to use contingent instead of accidental?

While in some cases nearly identical to accidental, 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

When can fortuitous be used instead of accidental?

While the synonyms fortuitous and accidental are close in meaning, fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accidental Patterson, who maintained her innocence throughout the trial and said the poisonings were accidental, has 28 days to appeal her sentence. Alasdair Pal, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025 The cause, whether accidental or intentional, remains unknown and fixing the issue could take weeks or months, The National reported. Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Additionally, many products are marketed to mimic popular snacks and candies, leading to accidental ingestion by consumers and children. A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 At the time, the Los Angeles Police Department stated that Haim, who had battled drug addiction for years, died of an accidental overdose. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for accidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accidental
Adjective
  • Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Natural gas fulfills much of this need, while coal is dirtier, expensive, and increasingly irrelevant for electricity production.
    Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • At one point during the argument, Barrow's fist allegedly made inadvertent contact with his wife's facial area, sports journalist Andy Slater reported, citing police.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Last Tuesday, Osaka wore a red-and-black Nike outfit in her first-round US Open victory, a color choice that created an inadvertent homage to Serena Williams’ 2018 French Open catsuit.
    Christine Michel Carter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Many, if not most, companies use and rely on cloud services, vendors and other external partners to manage their data and operations leaving customers’ data vulnerable when their employees are manipulated through social engineering.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The pool and rooftop bars are for hotel guests only, while the restaurants are open to external guests.
    Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • However, while the visit included an educational tour, meetings with local schoolchildren and even an unexpected downpour, the standout moment was the debut of Kate's new hairstyle.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • What begins as a casual conversation about the weather and aching hips gradually deepens into an unexpected friendship—and perhaps something more.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
  • Lauren Heller Since Sagittarians are willing to try anything once, the Fire sign resembles Lauren's adventitious persona.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Fans and social media users flooded his post with comments, showing their support for the player and hyping up his unintentional style choice in response.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • This can be unintentional or—here’s a shocker—some people can actually lie on the Internet.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As Spell-Hansson notes in her research publication, organizational leaders can be aware of the interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic barriers and opportunities and be strategic in crafting workplace cultures that will be welcoming to all potential employees.
    Susan Madsen, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • Is your motivation for doing well extrinsic or intrinsic?
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • Angel Reese was assessed her 8th technical foul of the season after incidental contact with Aaliyah Edwards on this play.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • But by the end, in its rush, the movie still hasn’t quite come up with a point of view on whether McCartney really got over his bust-up with Lennon with a little help from his Wings friends, or whether forming a band was ultimately incidental to overcoming any lingering separation anxiety.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidental. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on accidental

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!