Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
accidental [ak-si-den-tl] SynonymsWord Origin adjective
- happening by chance or accident; not planned; unexpected: an accidental meeting.
- nonessential; incidental; subsidiary: accidental benefits.
- Music. relating to or indicating sharps, flats, or naturals.
noun
- a nonessential or subsidiary circumstance, characteristic, or feature.
- Music. a sign placed before a note indicating a chromatic alteration of its pitch.
Origin of accidental First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word accidentālis. See accident, -al1 Related formsac·ci·den·tal·ly, ac·ci·dent·ly, adverbac·ci·den·tal·ness, ac·ci·den·tal·i·ty, nounnon·ac·ci·den·tal, adjective, nounnon·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverbnon·ac·ci·den·tal·ness, nounpre·ac·ci·den·tal, adjectivepre·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverbpseu·do·ac·ci·den·tal, adjectivepseu·do·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverbqua·si-ac·ci·den·tal, adjectivequa·si-ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverbun·ac·ci·den·tal, adjectiveun·ac·ci·den·tal·ly, adverbSynonyms for accidental 1. unintentional, unforeseen. Synonym study 1. 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 for accidental 1. planned, contrived. British Dictionary definitions for unaccidentally accidental adjective
- occurring by chance, unexpectedly, or unintentionally
- nonessential; incidental
- music denoting sharps, flats, or naturals that are not in the key signature of a piece
- logic (of a property) not essential; contingent
noun
- an incidental, nonessential, or supplementary circumstance, factor, or attribute
- music a symbol denoting a sharp, flat, or natural that is not a part of the key signature
Derived Formsaccidentally, adverb Word Origin and History for unaccidentally accidental adj.
late 14c., “non-essential,” from Old French accidentel or directly from Medieval Latin accidentalis, from Latin accidentem (see accident). Meaning “outside the normal course of nature” is from early 15c.; that of “coming by chance” is from 1570s.
accidental n.
late 14c., “non-essential quality,” from accidental (adj.). The musical sense is from 1868.