adjective
accidental
ak-sih-DEN-tul/ˌæksɪˈdentl/
Arising incidentally rather than by deliberate or inherent necessity.
The accidental collision at the doorway sends a few papers slipping from the folder.
Etymology
The underlying image is something that “falls upon” someone—something that happens. This developed into an occurrence governed by chance, giving accidental its sense of happening without a plan or intention.
In context
For instance, when creating a PDF in Adobe Acrobat, warning prompts before deleting pages can stop accidental mistakes.
More examples
- An accidental discovery changed the investigation.
- The philosopher distinguishes essential from accidental qualities.
- The damage was entirely accidental.
Forms
accidental
Similar words
- unintentional
- Rules out deliberate action rather than emphasizing chance.
- chance
- Chance emphasizes randomness rather than lack of intention.