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 HyperX includes a dedicated Game Mode, toggled with Fn and F12, which disables the Windows key to prevent accidental interruptions during gameplay. — Sascha Brodsky, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026 Malcolm died at 54 in an accidental drowning while on a family vacation in Costa Rica on July 20, 2025. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026 Consider that a durable laptop capable of withstanding an accidental drop might be worth extra money. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026 But for some people in Silicon Valley, specifically Peter Thiel, this idea of using technology to amass wealth and then turn that into monopolistic political power is something that was not accidental. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 10 Aug. 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
  • Officials blamed the inadvertent incursion on Russian electronic warfare.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • After the game, Clark said the contact was inadvertent and that no words were exchanged.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of inadvertent
Adjective
  • But according to Adobe’s recent research, as many as half of customers will disengage with a brand if promotions feel irrelevant or mistimed.
    — Sharat Potharaju, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This view has not been heard in the dizzying din of the emotional outburst and fearmongering of the side show and irrelevant conversation about transwomen in sports inexplicably occurring in the context of the WNBA.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of irrelevant
Adjective
  • His unexpected sale of the Lakers kicked off a new chapter in the long running feud between the children of previous owner Jerry Buss.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In 2019, almost 18 months after enlisting, Haleigh’s life took an unexpected turn.
    — Dateline NBC, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • That allows personnel to train against the physical aircraft, radio-frequency characteristics and flight behavior of DJI systems while attempting to isolate the drones from external data connections.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Iranian regime took external hostility as a given and designed its survival strategy accordingly.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of external
Adjective
  • Mitchell’s own imitation of Spielbergian life, despite its meticulous re-creation (and gleeful destruction) of eighties suburbia, stumbles into an uncanny valley between sincerity and cynicism, between unintentional comedy and deliberate homage.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Cook argues this creates an unintentional selfishness, in which your anxious thoughts distract you from noticing what’s actually going on with the people around you.
    — Hannah Harper, HEALTH, 14 Aug. 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
  • For some patients, incidental expenses can put participation in a clinical trial out of financial reach.
    — Michelle Andrews, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The course wasn’t incidental to Gates’ professional career, either.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of incidental
Adjective
  • Educational psychology provides a useful framework for understanding this phenomenon through the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
    — Jason Benedict, Fortune, 7 July 2026
  • Extrinsic rewards, such as grades, do so because extrinsic desires tend to crowd out intrinsic ones.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of extrinsic

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidental. Accessed 24 Aug. 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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