ac·ci·den·tal
ˌak-sə-ˈden-tᵊl 
1
a
: occurring unexpectedly or by chance
an accidental discovery
Their meeting was purely accidental.
b
: happening without intent or through carelessness and often with unfortunate results
The death was ruled accidental.
2
: arising from extrinsic causes : incidental, nonessential
3
of a bird
: appearing outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season
1
: a nonessential property
2
a
music
: a note foreign to a key indicated by a signature
b
: a prefixed sign indicating an accidental
3
: a bird found outside its normal geographic range, migration route, or season : vagrant
Examples of accidental in a Sentence
Adjective
an accidental discovery of oil
The timing of the announcement was purely accidental.
The death was ruled accidental.
Recent Examples on the Web
Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
The cause and manner of death in the cases included accidental drownings, a suicide, drug toxicity, blunt force trauma and cardiovascular disease, according to the medical examiner data.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The standoff risks testing regional alliances, drawing the attention of global powers, and increasing the possibility of accidental clashes at sea or in nearby airspace.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Tom Aspinall’s return to the octagon in Abu Dhabi didn’t go as planned on Saturday night, as his bout with Ciryl Gane quickly ended after an accidental poke in the eye.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accidental
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Adjective
Greater feedback from the nerve stimulation could also prevent missteps and accidental tumbles.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
The cause and manner of death in the cases included accidental drownings, a suicide, drug toxicity, blunt force trauma and cardiovascular disease, according to the medical examiner data.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The standoff risks testing regional alliances, drawing the attention of global powers, and increasing the possibility of accidental clashes at sea or in nearby airspace.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Tom Aspinall’s return to the octagon in Abu Dhabi didn’t go as planned on Saturday night, as his bout with Ciryl Gane quickly ended after an accidental poke in the eye.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accidental
Cite this Entry
“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidental. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accidental
1 of 2 adjective
ac·ci·den·tal
ˌak-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl
1
: happening unexpectedly or by chance
an accidental discovery of oil
2
: not happening or done on purpose
an accidental fall
accidental
2 of 2 noun
: a musical note whose pitch is changed (as by a sharp or a flat) from the pitch shown in the key signature
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