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 More than 20 people connected to Epstein’s broad social, legal or financial circles have died over the years from causes officially ruled suicide, overdoses, accidental or natural causes. — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 Tension on the Korean Peninsula is once again ratcheting up, with calls for immediate talks between North and South Korea to avert an accidental military confrontation. — Anna Coren, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The couple ultimately split in the fall of 2007, and just months later the 28-year-old actor died of an accidental drug overdose. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2026 The cast mourned Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, on- and offscreen following his death in 2013 from an accidental overdose. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 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
  • When a leader announces that a new tool will simplify processes, there’s an inadvertent message sent to employees.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The bear-resistant container was invented to arrest the inadvertent cultivation of problem bears.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of inadvertent
Adjective
  • The shift may have been good for business, but users often lamented that lack of control, complaining that the recommendation algorithms could send them down rabbit holes of irrelevant or even toxic content.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Tesla and SpaceX CEO predicts that advances in robotics and space exploration could eventually make conventional money irrelevant.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of irrelevant
Adjective
  • Prince Harry is opening up about his and wife Meghan Markle’s unexpected decision earlier this year to move back to the United Kingdom years after their dramatic fallout with the British royal family.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The tropical getaway also included some unexpected entertainment.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adjective
  • In humanoid robotics, this approach can help develop coordinated movements that account for the robot’s body dynamics and interactions with external objects.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The difference between organizations that develop leaders effectively and those that spend without return is whether the development is anchored to an honest external baseline.
    — Aurelien Mangano, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of external
Adjective
  • The risk of death from suicide was nearly doubled, showing an 89% increase, while the risk of dying from intentional or unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle accidents, was 55% higher, the study found.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The thuddingly literal-minded movie that director Brian Duffield has made of it is a piece of thriller kitsch, full of unintentional laughs.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 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
  • The cynic would say their aims are financial, and the outcomes in education are merely incidental to that end.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But then the story stalls, zeroes in on some incidental detail, and collapses into a mode of reflection that is circular and recursive.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidental. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on accidental

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about accidental

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