accidentally
Americanadverb
-
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.
-
in a nonessential or subsidiary way; incidentally.
Philosophy is essentially a vocation, and only accidentally a profession.
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- nonaccidentally adverb
- preaccidentally adverb
- pseudoaccidentally adverb
- quasi-accidentally adverb
- unaccidentally adverb
Etymology
Origin of accidentally
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.
The title of McCartney's new album was accidentally confirmed on social media by his brother Mike on Wednesday - after his son spotted posters being put up around Liverpool.
From BBC
Riverside County is home to a large wild donkey population, and it’s not uncommon for the animals to be accidentally injured in car accidents or run-ins with fences.
From Los Angeles Times
Nova said she and other friends in the industry “are having to double, triple check our contracts to make sure that we’re not accidentally signing away our likeness for use of AI purposes.”
From Salon
That matches the rating for Ukraine and western Russia, where in late 2024 an Azerbaijani passenger plane was accidentally shot out of the sky.
Tudor said he was alerted to the incident by his family, who also thought he had accidentally confused Dixon with Slot.
From BBC
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.
