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accident

American  
[ak-si-duhnt] / ˈæk sɪ dənt /

noun

  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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • postaccident adjective

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”

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.

Woods was involved in a car accident in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2026

She’d begun painting only months earlier, after being injured in a traffic accident that maimed her for life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

It is the first big accident as a result of this scenario, but not the first near-miss.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Around Thanksgiving 2009, a report that Woods had been in a car accident near his home erupted into a major scandal involving allegations of affairs.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

“Killed in an accident, tsk tsk! Poor Widow Ashton, what a sad and lonely life she must have.”

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions 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.