Accidental — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl/ ac·ci·den·tal

Meaning & Definition of Accidental

Accidental (adjective)

  1. occurring unexpectedly or by chance
  2. happening without intent or through carelessness and often with unfortunate results
  3. arising from extrinsic causes, incidental, nonessential

Accidental (noun)

  1. a nonessential property
  2. a note foreign to a key indicated by a signature
  3. a prefixed sign indicating an accidental

Accidental (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. happening by chance

    "finding the gold was all the more remarkable because its discovery was entirely accidental"

    similar: casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, unwitting
    related: coincidental, freak, odd, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, random, uncertain, unexpected, unforeseeable, unforeseen, coerced, forced, involuntary, unconscious, unprompted
    opposite: calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, set
    near: certain, destined, expected, fixed, foreordained, foreseeable, foreseen, inevitable, predestined, predetermined, predictable, preordained, prescribed, sure, conscious, freewill, knowing, unforced, voluntary, volunteer, willful

  2. not being a vital part of or belonging to something

    "we're considering the painting's merit as a work of art, its commercial value being entirely accidental as far as we're concerned"

    similar: adventitious, alien, external, extraneous, extrinsic, foreign, supervenient
    related: exterior, outside, immaterial, inapplicable, insignificant, irrelevant, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary
    opposite: inherent, innate, intrinsic
    near: congenital, deep-seated, inborn, inbred, inside, interior, internal, basic, essential, necessary

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Accidental

The most common words with a similar meaning to Accidental:

casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, unwitting, adventitious, alien, external, extraneous, extrinsic, foreign, supervenient

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Accidental

Words with the opposite meaning of Accidental:

calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, set, inherent, innate, intrinsic

Related Words for Accidental

coincidental, freak, odd, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, random, uncertain, unexpected, unforeseeable, unforeseen, coerced, forced, involuntary, unconscious, unprompted, exterior, outside, immaterial, inapplicable, insignificant, irrelevant, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary

Near Antonyms of Accidental

certain, destined, expected, fixed, foreordained, foreseeable, foreseen, inevitable, predestined, predetermined, predictable, preordained, prescribed, sure, conscious, freewill, knowing, unforced, voluntary, volunteer, willful, congenital, deep-seated, inborn, inbred, inside, interior, internal, basic, essential

Word Forms of Accidental

Derived words: accidentalness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Accidental

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

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Accidental

What does "Accidental" mean?

"Accidental" means occurring unexpectedly or by chance. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: occurring unexpectedly or by chance. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Accidental"?

Other words for "Accidental" include casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, unintended and unintentional. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Accidental" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Accidental"?

There are 44 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Accidental". Common alternatives include casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, incidental, unintended, unintentional, unplanned and unpremeditated.

What is the opposite of "Accidental"?

Antonyms of "Accidental" include calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative and prepense. Near antonyms include certain, destined, expected and fixed.

How do you use "Accidental" in a sentence?

Examples of "Accidental" in a sentence: "finding the gold was all the more remarkable because its discovery was entirely accidental"; "we're considering the painting's merit as a work of art, its commercial value being entirely accidental as far as we're concerned".

Is "Accidental" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Accidental" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Accidental"?

"Accidental" is pronounced /ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl/ and divided into syllables as ac·ci·den·tal.

What is the origin of the word "Accidental"?

"Accidental" comes from Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French accidentel, borrowed from Late Latin accidentālis, from Latin accident-, accidens accident + -ālis -al:1. First known use: 14th century.