ADVENTITIOUS Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

adventitious

adjective

ˌad-(ˌ)ven-ˈti-shəs

Definition of adventitious

as in extrinsic

not being a vital part of or belonging to something the point of view that art should be for art's sake and that moral considerations are adventitious to the study of art

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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 adventitious 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 The cut appears to have been high enough that the stump should still have enough adventitious buds to regrow. — Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023 This can also occur when trees are planted too deep, as adventitious (growing sideways from the stem) roots grow against the stem and squeeze the sapwood. — Rebecca Jepsen, The Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adventitious

Adjective

Educational psychology provides a useful framework for understanding this phenomenon through the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

— Jason Benedict, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Extrinsic rewards, such as grades, do so because extrinsic desires tend to crowd out intrinsic ones.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Definition of extrinsic

Adjective

Frequently, the drug and location are irrelevant to the price — raising questions about the roles of insurers and higher prices associated with popular plans.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
But in sectors where the buyer is sophisticated—and purchases are often time-sensitive—particularly in infrastructure, industrial services, specialist logistics and even professional services, awareness from the wider public is close to irrelevant.

— Sophie Attwood, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of irrelevant

Adjective

Inflation in India has been rising for 10 straight months, while economic growth has remained strong despite external challenges.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Windows Pro offers advanced security and access-sharing features, and this unit comes bundled with a 500GB external drive for even more storage.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of external

Adjective

That some narrative moves are obvious, some unconvincing and some just extraneous does not get in the way of a good time.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
As other poorly issued smart home gadget updates have proven, extraneous technology can spoil a simple product.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of extraneous

Adjective

Healthcare workers will often wear personal protective equipment, such as an N95 mask, or even a full body suit in case of accidental exposure.

— Erika Edwards, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
His death at 33 was ruled accidental, but rumors persist drugs played a role.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of accidental

Adjective

In this first contact technothriller, a mysterious spaceship carrying an alien hive mind called the Irunmole appears above Nigeria.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
The game, and thus the feature, centers on an elite unit of soldiers known as Helldivers who must battle alien creatures threatening to destroy the fictional planet of Super Earth.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of alien

Adjective

The European Commission is aware of this challenge and opened a foreign subsidies investigation into Goldwind’s activities in the EU wind sector in February.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
In graft versus host disease, donated stem cells recognize a recipient’s body as foreign and begin to attack their healthy tissues.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of foreign

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adventitious

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“Adventitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adventitious. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of adventitious

adjective

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