Accidental describes what was not planned or intended. It means "happening by accident" or "happening as an accident," as in "an accidental discovery" and "an accidental injury."

ACCIDENTAL definition: 1. happening or existing by chance: 2. a sign showing that there is a temporary change from the…. Learn more.

An accidental event happens by chance or as the result of an accident, and is not deliberately intended. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death. His hand brushed against hers; it could have been …

Accidental primarily refers to what occurs by chance: an accidental meeting. It can also mean subordinate or nonessential: "Poetry is something to which words are the accidental, not by any …

Anything accidental happens by chance or unintentionally. People don't mean to do accidental things.

happening by chance; not planned. I didn't think our meeting was accidental—he must have known I would be there. Definition of accidental adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, …

Feb 12, 2026 · Noun accidental (plural accidentals) A property which is not essential; a nonessential; anything happening accidentally.

Accidental is an adjective that refers to something occurring unexpectedly, unintentionally, or by chance, without being planned or foreseen. It can also refer to an incidental or nonessential thing or …

Accidental, casual, fortuitous all describe something outside the usual course of events. Accidental implies occurring unexpectedly or by chance: an accidental blow.

Accidental is the most common, and expresses that which happens outside of the regular course of events. Chance has about the same force as accidental, but it is not used predicatively.