accidentally
adverb
ac·ci·dent·al·ly
ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē 
-ˈden-tᵊl-ē
-ˈden-tᵊl-ē
: in an accidental or unintended manner : by accident
I accidentally deleted the file.
The lock prevents the gate from opening accidentally.
Six lionfish were accidentally released from a home aquarium in Biscayne Bay, Fla., during Hurricane Andrew in 1992.—
Alcestis Cooky Oberg
Alcestis Cooky ObergThe Olympic test was thrown out after the test lab accidentally destroyed the backup sample … that's required to confirm a positive result.—Christie Aschwanden
Christie AschwandenHe bumped into her accidentally on purpose. [=he bumped into her intentionally but he tried to make it appear to be an accident]
Examples of accidentally in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
She was accused on Monday of having accidentally activated a website for a future campaign to lead the Labour Party.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
There is another kind of voter fraud which has escaped the attention--whether accidentally or deliberately--of the media.
—Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
Your home may accidentally end up smelling more like artificial air fresheners than a clean oasis.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
The movie, released in May 1999, saw Fraser as treasure hunter who travels to Egypt in the 1920s with a spunky librarian, played by Weisz, only to accidentally awaken a supernaturally powerful high priest.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accidentally
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Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
There is another kind of voter fraud which has escaped the attention--whether accidentally or deliberately--of the media.
—Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
Your home may accidentally end up smelling more like artificial air fresheners than a clean oasis.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
The movie, released in May 1999, saw Fraser as treasure hunter who travels to Egypt in the 1920s with a spunky librarian, played by Weisz, only to accidentally awaken a supernaturally powerful high priest.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accidentally
Cite this Entry
“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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