accidentally

Sometimes ac·ci·dent·ly

[ak-si-den-tl-ee]

adverb

1. by chance or mistake; in a way that is not planned or intended.

   If you break your key, whether accidentally or on purpose, there is a $40 charge to replace it.

2. in a nonessential or subsidiary way; incidentally.

   Philosophy is essentially a vocation, and only accidentally a profession.

Other Word Forms

• nonaccidentally adverb
• preaccidentally adverb
• pseudoaccidentally adverb
• quasi-accidentally adverb
• unaccidentally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of accidentally¹

accidental ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Shortly after they were born, the two babies were accidentally switched and were given to the parents of the other family.

From BBC

An autopsy concluded Skaggs accidentally died of asphyxia after aspirating his own vomit while under the influence of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol.

From Los Angeles Times

In other words: Colonizers accidentally gave them a space to reconnect.

From Los Angeles Times

But, as the UN made clear, the escalator suddenly stopped after a White House videographer accidentally triggered a safety mechanism.

From Salon

The first film, released in 2007, saw Homer accidentally pollute the water supply of Springfield and then attempt to save his city, which had been sealed off under a huge glass dome.

From BBC

Related Words

• unintentionally 
• unwittingly 

When To Use

Spelling tips for accidentally

The word accidentally is hard to spell because it can be hard to remember which letters are doubled and which are not. To add to the confusion, there are two possible spellings of accidentally. While less common, accidently is also an acceptable spelling of the word.How to spell accidentally: It's no accident that many animals have two eyes to see (C) And two ears to Listen (L). This reminds you that the letters c and l are doubled in accidentally, with an a in between.