accident
an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents.
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.
any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.
chance; fortune; luck: I was there by accident.
a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or characteristic: an accident of birth.
Philosophy. any entity or event contingent upon the existence of something else.
Geology. a surface irregularity, usually on a small scale, the reason for which is not apparent.
Origin of accident
1Other words for accident
Opposites for accident
Other words from accident
- post·ac·ci·dent, adjective
Words that may be confused with accident
- accident , Occident
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use accident in a sentence
There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet.
The Other Side of Stephen Hawking: Strippers, Aliens, and Disturbing Abuse Claims | Marlow Stern | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHolocaust memorials, funerals, kids in car accidents—the backdrops are increasingly inappropriate.
Selfie Hall of Shame: Is Anywhere Safe From Sick Snaps? | Charlotte Lytton | October 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe U.S. government has said it cannot confirm any civilian casualties but will investigate any accidents.
Exclusive: America’s Allies Almost Bombed in Syrian Airstrikes | Josh Rogin | September 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOnly 101 lives were lost by the two air forces and most of those were not caused by crashes but by accidents on the tarmac.
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’ | Clive Irving | September 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn the wake of the August accident, gun enthusiasts were quick to claim that accidents on gun ranges are rare.
Where Kids as Young as 5 Learn to Shoot Automatic Weapons | Brandy Zadrozny | September 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
This enactment was due principally to the railway accidents that occurred.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph TatlowThe object of these rules is to prevent collisions and other accidents, which would be likely to occur if no regulations existed.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney BollesIt was a curious chapter of accidents that brought all these well laid plans to nought.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl BeckerHe said that the majority of the motorists who attempted them were stalled and that there had been some serious accidents.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car | Thomas D. MurphyAs these accidents are at once instructive and picturesque, it is well to note certain of them in some detail.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
British Dictionary definitions for accident
/ (ˈæksɪdənt) /
an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause
anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune: I met him by accident
a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death
Also called: adjunct logic philosophy a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance)
metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres
geology a surface irregularity in a natural formation, esp in a rock formation or a river system
Origin of accident
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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