1
as in chance
happening by chance
finding the gold was all the more remarkable because its discovery was entirely accidental
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irrelevant
not being a vital part of or belonging to something
we're considering the painting's merit as a work of art, its commercial value being entirely accidental as far as we're concerned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of accidental
That can include damage from hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes, floods, vandalism, seismic activity, wildfires and accidental house fires.
—
Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Turns out the shot was accidental, the wound was self-inflicted and alcohol was involved, police say.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Feb. 2026
Minnelli's own addiction began after Garland's surprising death from an accidental overdose in 1969.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
At the Lansing School District, the improved 94% graduation rate and 2% dropout rate for 2025 are not accidental.
—Isabel Lohman, Freep.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accidental
Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Turns out the shot was accidental, the wound was self-inflicted and alcohol was involved, police say.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 21 Feb. 2026
Minnelli's own addiction began after Garland's surprising death from an accidental overdose in 1969.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
At the Lansing School District, the improved 94% graduation rate and 2% dropout rate for 2025 are not accidental.
—Isabel Lohman, Freep.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accidental
Adjective
-
By redrawing political lines to predetermine the outcome of House races, politicians rendered many of their voters irrelevant and obsolete.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The absolute dollar figure is irrelevant to the question.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That keeps You Got Older on the shelf, and draws your eye to the ways the play has become an inadvertent period piece.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, victims have slammed the department for inconsistent or nonexistent redactions that allowed for the inadvertent release of nude photos and other private information about victims.—
Eric Tucker,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dan Halden, director of external relations for the Bureau of Street Services, said in a statement that the agency acknowledges the challenges ahead, including resources, cost and timeliness, and would work to identify a path forward.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
To finish up, Dana needs internal and external vaginal swabs, additional swabs in Ilana’s mouth, and then offers meds and information regarding STIs and pregnancy.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the finding of children learning more people and furniture words was unexpected because previous research suggested that more digital media time is associated with fewer face-to-face interactions and therefore fewer opportunities to learn these kinds of words.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
All denim items feature the brand’s signature KK logo leather patch in unexpected places like at the hem of jeans.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
5 July 2025
-
The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.—
Mark Greif,
Harper's Magazine,
26 July 2024
Adjective
-
That year, 1,409 people died of unintentional overdoses on other drugs, with fentanyl accounting for the majority.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Bias in our healthcare system, even when unintentional, also helps drive these health disparities.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Early longevity studies analyzed groups of people who were born in a time of widespread extrinsic mortality.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Although both are important in their own right, research from Personality and Individual Differences demonstrates that when people begin depending on extrinsic motivations like external feedback to gauge their success, their anxiety increases.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In this case, the NHL ruled that the contact was incidental.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The experts agree that, unless provoked, most of the damage that Godzilla would cause would be incidental.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidental. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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