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.
Readers were learning economics accidentally from Maria’s books, which were not advertised as lessons in the new science. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Especially in a way that doesn’t accidentally move the wrong pieces. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 But news of the vulnerabilities leaked earlier in online forums, and then by Calif itself, which accidentally posted a proof-of-concept video on Tuesday that demonstrated an exploit chain. — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Cornered, the liar finally admits, accidentally or intentionally, the truth; justice prevails and catharsis is achieved. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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