Origin: 1350–1400; Middle English <
Medieval Latin accidentālis. See accident, -al1 Related formsac·ci·den·tal·ly, ac·ci·dent·ly, adverb
ac·ci·den·tal·ness, ac·ci·den·tal·i·ty, noun
non·ac·ci·den·tal, adjective, noun
non·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb
non·ac·ci·den·tal·ness, noun
EXPANDpre·ac·ci·den·tal, adjective
pre·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb
pseu·do·ac·ci·den·tal, adjective
pseu·do·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb
qua·si-ac·ci·den·tal, adjective
qua·si-ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb
un·ac·ci·den·tal, adjective
un·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverb
COLLAPSESynonyms
1. unintentional, unforeseen. Accidental, casual, fortuitous all describe something outside the usual course of events. Accidental implies occurring unexpectedly or by chance: an accidental blow. Casual describes a passing event of slight importance: a casual reference. Fortuitous is applied to events occurring without known cause, often of a fortunate or favorable nature: a fortuitous shower of meteors. It often also implies good luck or good fortune: a fortuitous choice leading to rapid advancement.
Antonyms
1. planned, contrived.