accident
Americannoun
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accidents
plural
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an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap.
automobile accidents.
- Synonyms:
- disaster, contingency, misadventure, misfortune, mischance
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Law. such a happening resulting in injury that is in no way the fault of the injured person for which compensation or indemnity is legally sought.
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any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
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chance; fortune; luck.
I was there by accident.
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a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or characteristic.
an accident of birth.
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Philosophy. any entity or event contingent upon the existence of something else.
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Geology. a surface irregularity, usually on a small scale, the reason for which is not apparent.
noun
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an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause
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anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune
I met him by accident
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a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death
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Also called: adjunct. logic philosophy a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance)
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metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres
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geology a surface irregularity in a natural formation, esp in a rock formation or a river system
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of accident
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin accident-, stem of accidēns “happening,” present participle of accidere “to befall, happen,” from ac- ac- + -cidere, combining form of cadere “to fall”
Explanation
An accident is an unfortunate event. By their very nature, accidents are not planned. Rear-ending the car ahead of you, spilling milk, losing your footing on an icy sidewalk — all of these are considered accidents. You will most often hear people use accident to describe an unfortunate mistake, like swerving into oncoming traffic or making a sloppy calculation. However, an accident could have a positive outcome as well: "The invention of the chocolate chip cookie was a happy accident, occurring when the cook decided to add the chopped chocolate to the batter without melting it first."
Vocabulary lists containing accident
"Angels in the Snow"
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cas, cad, cid
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"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 10–12
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The parents of all these children must receive justice," tailor Muhammad Wahab, who lost his 11-year-old nephew Hammad in the accident, told AFP on Friday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
It may be a case of friendly fire, a wound caused as a result of a hunting accident.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
A fatal accident on a Six Flags Entertainment roller coaster sent shares of the amusement-park operator on Tuesday near the lowest level of the year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Britain’s postwar government introduced disability payments to help offset lost wages for, say, a worker who lost a hand in an industrial accident.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Radioactivity from the accident can be found in trace amounts as far away as California and Oregon.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
She says serious accidents are a "very small percentage".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
He has encountered numerous mothers coping with the sudden death of their partner from causes such as shootings, car accidents and other unexpected events.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Plant officials say stringent safety measures have been followed and lessons from previous nuclear accidents were incorporated into the project.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
After getting treated, the motorcyclist continued to ride with a cast and suffered injuries in two more accidents, which he told medical professionals involved cars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
There are thousands of car accidents every day.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
