accident
Americannoun
-
accidents
plural
-
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
-
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.
-
any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
-
chance; fortune; luck.
I was there by accident.
-
a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or characteristic.
an accident of birth.
-
Philosophy. any entity or event contingent upon the existence of something else.
-
Geology. a surface irregularity, usually on a small scale, the reason for which is not apparent.
noun
-
an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause
-
anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune
I met him by accident
-
a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death
-
Also called: adjunct. logic philosophy a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance)
-
metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
cas, cad, cid
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 10–12
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 28 October accident on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line was one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The people who found that child did not arrive by accident.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
In October, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42 years old, died after an accident on the Goliath roller coaster at the Georgia location.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
He added that "the government will continue to do everything in its power to assist those affected by this terrible accident, and to restore normality to our high-speed rail service."
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
I look frantically around the parking lot, expecting a car accident or some other emergency.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
As Waymo’s fleet grows, so does the number of accidents involving its vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
The accidents have undermined trust in the world's second-largest high-speed rail network and overshadowed campaigning for a November 29 general election in which Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is trailing in opinion polls.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Pomeroy acknowledges that accidents involving wooden spears would have been possible, particularly when Neanderthals hunted large, dangerous animals at close range.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Several other helicopter accidents were reported during the 2025 pilgrimage season, prompting aviation authorities to tighten safety checks and restrict some operations.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The doctors of Monterey—and there were enough of them to take care of the ordinary diseases, accidents and neuroses—were running crazy.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
