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accident

 [ak-si-duhnt]   Example Sentences Origin

ac·ci·dent

   [ak-si-duhnt]
noun
1.
an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents.
2.
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.
3.
any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
4.
chance; fortune; luck: I was there by accident.
5.
a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or characteristic: an accident of birth.
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6.
Philosophy. any entity or event contingent upon the existence of something else.
7.
Geology. a surface irregularity, usually on a small scale, the reason for which is not apparent.
COLLAPSE
California Accident www.findlaw.com/Accidents Learn About Accidents Laws. Free Info & Resources at FindLaw.
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Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin accident- (stem of accidēns happening, present participle of accidere to befall), equivalent to ac- ac- + -cid-, combining form of cad- fall + -ent- -ent

Related forms
post·ac·ci·dent, adjective

Can be confused: accident, Occident.

Synonyms
1. mischance, misfortune, misadventure; contingency; disaster.

Antonyms
4. design, intent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To Accident

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Accident is always a great word to know.
So is testify. Does it mean:
a legal notice to a court or public officer to suspend a certain proceeding until the notifier is given a hearing
to state or declare under oath or affirmation, usually in court
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Initial reports suggest that stormy weather may have contributed to the accident.
  • On a bad day, an accident or closure cuts off a major artery and all plans are off.
  • The sulfur is a by-product of emergency procedures taken immediately after the accident.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
accident (ˈæksɪdənt)
 
—n
1.  an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause
2.  anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune: I met him by accident
3.  a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death
4.  logic, philosophy Also called: adjunct a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance)
5.  metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres
6.  geology a surface irregularity in a natural formation, esp in a rock formation or a river system
 
[C14: via Old French from Latin accident- chance, happening, from the present participle of accidere to befall, happen, from ad- to + cadere to fall]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

accident
late 14c., "an occurrence, incident, event," from O.Fr. accident (12c.), from L. accidentum (nom. accidens, gen. accidentis), prp. of accidere "happen, fall out, fall upon," from ad- "to" + cadere "fall" (see case (1)). Meaning grew from "something that happens, an event,"
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to "something that happens by chance," then "mishap."
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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