accidental

[ ak-si-den-tl ]
/ ˌæk sɪˈdɛn tl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR accidental ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

happening by chance or accident; not planned; unexpected: an accidental meeting.
nonessential; incidental; subsidiary: accidental benefits.
Music. relating to or indicating sharps, flats, or naturals.

noun

a nonessential or subsidiary circumstance, characteristic, or feature.
Music. a sign placed before a note indicating a chromatic alteration of its pitch.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of accidental

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word accidentālis. See accident, -al1

synonym study for accidental

1. Accidental, casual, fortuitous all describe something outside the usual course of events. Accidental implies occurring unexpectedly or by chance: an accidental blow. Casual describes a passing event of slight importance: a casual reference. Fortuitous is applied to events occurring without known cause, often of a fortunate or favorable nature: a fortuitous shower of meteors. It often also implies good luck or good fortune: a fortuitous choice leading to rapid advancement.

OTHER WORDS FROM accidental

Words nearby accidental

accident boat, accident insurance, accident proneness, accident tout, accident-prone, accidental, accidental death benefit, accidental hypothermia, accidentalism, accidentally on purpose, accidentology
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to accidentally

unwittingly, unintentionally, haphazardly

Example sentences from the Web for accidentally

British Dictionary definitions for accidentally

accidental
/ (ˌæksɪˈdɛntəl) /

adjective

occurring by chance, unexpectedly, or unintentionally
nonessential; incidental
music denoting sharps, flats, or naturals that are not in the key signature of a piece
logic (of a property) not essential; contingent

noun

an incidental, nonessential, or supplementary circumstance, factor, or attribute
music a symbol denoting a sharp, flat, or natural that is not a part of the key signature

Derived forms of accidental

accidentally, adverb
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