accident

American  

[ak-si-duhnt] / ˈæk sɪ dənt /

noun

• accidents
  plural

1. 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

2. 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.

3. any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.

4. chance; fortune; luck.

   I was there by accident.

   Antonyms:

   intent, design

5. a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or characteristic.

   an accident of birth.

6. Philosophy. any entity or event contingent upon the existence of something else.

7. Geology. a surface irregularity, usually on a small scale, the reason for which is not apparent.

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accident British  

/ ˈæksɪdənt /

noun

1. an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause

2. anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune

   I met him by accident

3. a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death

4. Also called: adjunct.  logic philosophy a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance)

5. metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres

6. geology a surface irregularity in a natural formation, esp in a rock formation or a river system

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postaccident
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accidents
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accident accidents

I’m curious what would happen if the account owner were to die suddenly at the same time as the 98% beneficiary — for example, in a car accident.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Both gardened, and she thinks the accident contributed to their illnesses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Now that I’ve seen the show – me, and the few thousand other unfortunates rubbernecking at this terrible accident – I’m here to assure you that this was never about us.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

He was killed at the age of 23 in a bus accident in Paris.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Before Abby’s accident, the Palmers climbed mountain trails and slept in sleeping bags under the stars.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

The other is a powerful exposé on the safety breaches that have caused deadly crashes and accidents on Boeing airplanes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Electronically powered door handles became an industry trend, but raised "real safety concerns" when doors failed to open promptly, delaying rescue efforts after accidents, said Nanyang Technological University associate professor Lyu Chen.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

More than once, she said, she has had to order planes to slow down or alter their trajectories to avoid accidents.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

The point is, preparing some extra gear ahead of time can be extremely beneficial in the long run, especially when dealing with accidents or unusual circumstances.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

She cleans up the accidents Ms. Louise sometimes has when she can’t make it to the bathroom.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

Related Words

• calamity
• casualty
• disaster
• hazard
• mishap
• pileup
• setback