accidental

Q: What is the difference between 'accidental' and 'incidental'?

Accidental describes what was not planned or intended. It means "happening by accident" or "happening as an accident," as in "an accidental discovery" and "an accidental injury." Incidental typically means "happening as a minor part or result of something else," as in "a chapter that is incidental to the novel's plot." For more information read the full article .

1 of 2

adjective

ac·ci·den·tal ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl

Synonyms of accidental next

: occurring unexpectedly or by chance

an accidental discovery

Their meeting was purely accidental.

: happening without intent or through carelessness and often with unfortunate results

The death was ruled accidental.

: arising from extrinsic causes : incidental, nonessential

of a bird : appearing outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season

accidentalness

ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl-nəs

noun

accidental

2 of 2

noun

: a nonessential property

music : a note foreign to a key indicated by a signature

: a prefixed sign indicating an accidental

: a bird found outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season : vagrant

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between accidental and incidental?

Accidental describes what was not planned or intended. It means "happening by accident" or "happening as an accident," as in "an accidental discovery" and "an accidental injury." Incidental typically means "happening as a minor part or result of something else," as in "a chapter that is incidental to the novel's plot." For more information read the full article.

Do you say 'on accident' or 'by accident'?

While both "by accident" and "on accident" are used, "by accident" is far more common.

What does 'accident waiting to happen' mean?

The phrase "an accident waiting to happen" refers to a person or thing that is dangerous or unsafe. For example, a very clumsy person and a rickety ladder might both be referred to as "an accident waiting to happen."

Choose the Right Synonym for accidental

accidental, fortuitous, casual, contingent mean not amenable to planning or prediction.

accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

Examples of accidental in a Sentence

Adjective an accidental discovery of oil The timing of the announcement was purely accidental. The death was ruled accidental.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adjective

The defense contends the June 2022 shooting was accidental. —

Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024 Nelson was one of the six siblings and partial siblings who were ruled to be Prince’s legal heirs after the singer died of an accidental drug overdose in 2016. —

Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024 Since Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016, Tyka and her half-siblings had been engaged in a yearslong legal disagreement over the handling of the seven-time Grammy winner’s estate. —

Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024 At the end of the day, this all comes down to someone entering the wrong address—be that accidental or malicious in intent. —

Davey Winder, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accidental

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French accidentel, borrowed from Late Latin accidentālis, from Latin accident-, accidens accident + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin accidentālis, noun derivative of Late Latin accidentālis accidental entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of accidental was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidental. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

accidental

1 of 2 adjective

ac·ci·den·tal ˌak-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl

: happening unexpectedly or by chance

an accidental discovery of oil

: not happening or done on purpose

an accidental fall

accidentally

-ˈdent-lē

-ˈdent-ᵊl-ē

adverb

accidental

2 of 2 noun

: a musical note whose pitch is changed (as by a sharp or a flat) from the pitch shown in the key signature

Last Updated: 11 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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accidental

adjective

noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Synonyms

Examples of accidental in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near accidental

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition