accidentally
/,æksi'dentəli/
Definition
- Adverb:
- Without intention; in an unintentional manner: Happening by chance or as an unforeseen result, not planned or deliberate.
- Of a minor or subordinate nature; incidentally: Occurring as a secondary or less important event or detail.
- Without advance planning; by chance: Happening in an unplanned or unexpected way.
Usage and Examples
Without intention:
- I accidentally deleted the important file. (I deleted the file without meaning to do it.)
- She accidentally spilled her coffee on the table. (The spilling was not done on purpose.)
By chance; without planning:
- We met accidentally at the airport. (Our meeting was not arranged; it happened by chance.)
- He accidentally discovered the old letters while cleaning the attic. (The discovery was unexpected and unplanned.)
Incidentally; as a secondary point:
- The book is about politics, but it only accidentally touches on economic issues. (The economic issues are mentioned in passing, not as the main focus.)
Advanced Usage
- "Accidentally on purpose": An informal idiom describing an action that appears to be an accident but was actually done deliberately.
- He bumped into her accidentally on purpose to start a conversation. (He pretended it was an accident to achieve his goal.)
Variants and Related Words
- Accidental (adj): Happening by chance or unintentionally.
- Our meeting was purely accidental.
- Accident (n): An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly, often resulting in damage or injury.
- He was injured in a car accident.
Synonyms
- Unintentionally: Without deliberate aim or intent.
- Inadvertently: Without intention; accidentally (often implying carelessness).
- By chance: Without planning; fortuitously.
- Incidentally: As a less important item or point; by the way.
Antonyms
- Deliberately: Done consciously and intentionally.
- Intentionally: Done on purpose.
- Purposely: With a specific purpose or intent.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- A happy accident: A fortunate or beneficial event that occurs by chance.
- Finding this antique shop was a happy accident.
- By accident: Happening by chance; synonym for "accidentally."
- I found the solution by accident while researching something else.
Adverb
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without intention; in an unintentional manner
-
she hit him unintentionally
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of a minor or subordinate nature
-
these magnificent achievements were only incidentally influenced by Oriental models
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without advance planning
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they met accidentally
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