accidental

adjective

ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce accidental (audio)
Definition of accidentalnext
1
as in chance
happening by chance finding the gold was all the more remarkable because its discovery was entirely accidental

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irrelevant
not being a vital part of or belonging to something we're considering the painting's merit as a work of art, its commercial value being entirely accidental as far as we're concerned

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective accidental differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of accidental are casual, contingent, and fortuitous. While all these words mean "not amenable to planning or prediction," accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

When might casual be a better fit than accidental?

In some situations, the words casual and accidental are roughly equivalent. However, casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

When is it sensible to use contingent instead of accidental?

While in some cases nearly identical to accidental, contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

When can fortuitous be used instead of accidental?

While the synonyms fortuitous and accidental are close in meaning, fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of accidental While her death was deemed accidental, evidence surrounding other victims eventually led police to Heuermann 12 years later. —Michael Ruiz , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 The trailer is packed with laugh-out-loud moments, including spit takes, accidental fires, surprise punchesand plenty of vacation disasters. —Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 The coroner’s office ruled their deaths accidental. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 Authorities have said the fire was accidental and originated at the base of a silo. —ABC News, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for accidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accidental
  1. inadvertent
  2. irrelevant
  3. unexpected
  4. external
  5. unintentional
  6. adventitious
  7. incidental
  8. extrinsic
Adjective
  • However, after Monday's inadvertent alarm, the office is looking at that policy.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 10 June 2026
  • That’s where the irony of the show’s premise ends up sounding like an inadvertent confession.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 3 June 2026
Definition of inadvertent
Adjective
  • That's nice, but also irrelevant if the debtor is not resident in one of those states (and maybe not even then).
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • No one wants to think about being replaced; no one wants to feel irrelevant in their own lives.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
Definition of irrelevant
Adjective
  • But in mid-June, Turner was already a three-win player, combining his usual offensive prowess with an unexpected improvement with the glove.
    — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • The chance encounter highlights how police work can take unexpected turns, even during assignments unrelated to violent crime.
    — CBS News Philadelphia Staff, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • According to the home’s actual dimensions, the doorway (which didn’t exist when the family moved in) should dead-end to an external wall; instead, when Navidson opens the door, there’s a narrow hallway nearly ten feet long inside.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 June 2026
  • Simplifi meets rigorous security certifications, such as SOC 2, which are part of a comprehensive external audit that assesses the security, confidentiality and privacy of a program’s data.
    — Amy DeYoung, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Definition of external
Adjective
  • Thanks to his passion for gardening, O’Connor might also be the unintentional celebrity figurehead of the analog hobby movement.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 2026
  • Tyler Walter Edwards pleaded guilty in April to second-degree unintentional murder for the July 25, 2024, death of Maxton Keith Gudowski.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of unintentional
Adjective
  • Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
  • The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.
    — Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
Definition of adventitious
Adjective
  • Sure, Andy’s mom was an incidental figure, and his dad simply didn’t exist, but the attachment and responsibility that Buzz and Woody feel towards their children is impossible to mistake.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 June 2026
  • Occasional or incidental business use probably would not justify deducting the full year, so keep records showing how the subscription was used.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • She was medically excused from the 2020 WNBA season held amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to extrinsic asthma, then returned to the league with the Washington Mystics in 2021.
    — Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 7 May 2026
  • Anyone that wanted to reserve time in the July 19 final was beholden to a full-tourney pledge of as much as $30 million, although your mileage will vary based on any number of extrinsic variables.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of extrinsic

Browse Nearby Words

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accidentally
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Cite this Entry

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidental. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on accidental

Nglish: Translation of accidental for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about accidental

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