accidentally

adverb

ac·​ci·​dent·​al·​ly ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē How to pronounce accidentally (audio) -ˈden-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce accidentally (audio)
Synonyms of accidentallynext
: 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
The Olympic test was thrown out after the test lab accidentally destroyed the backup sample … that's required to confirm a positive result.—Christie Aschwanden
He 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By the way, in the novel and movie, the tiny country accidentally wins. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026 While doing the trick, the British singer appeared to accidentally choke on the remaining water in his mouth and fell to the ground, coughing. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 June 2026 Unlike most true wireless earbuds on the market, the Beats Flex have a neckband-style design (which might even keep you from accidentally losing an earbud). — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026 In 2012, Houston accidentally drowned in her bathtub at the hotel where, hours later, Davis was throwing his famous Grammys pre-party. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for accidentally

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accidentally was in the 14th century

Rhymes for accidentally

See All Rhymes for accidentally

Browse Nearby Words

accidentality
accidentally
accidental means
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on accidentally

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accidentally

Nglish: Translation of accidentally for Spanish Speakers

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