accidence

[ ak-si-duhns ]

noun

1. the rudiments or essentials of a subject.
2. Grammar.
   1. the study of inflection as a grammatical device.
   2. the inflections so studied.

accidence

/ ˈæksɪdəns /

noun

1. inflectional morphology; the part of grammar concerned with changes in the form of words by internal modification or by affixation, for the expression of tense, person, case, number, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of accidence¹

1500–1510; < Latin accidentia, neuter plural of accidēns (present participle of accidere to fall, befall). See accident

Word History and Origins

Origin of accidence¹

C15: from Latin accidentia accidental matters, hence inflections of words, from accidere to happen. See accident

Example Sentences

I’ll make it good upon the accidence, body of me! that in speech is the devil’s paternoster.

From Project Gutenberg

In English the syntax has been enlarged at the expense of the accidence; position has taken the place of forms.

From Project Gutenberg

But with such minute exceptions, the accidence of the 16th century was the accidence of the 19th.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no poverty in design or decoration, and no overdeveloped luxuriance, except for the accidence of the Renaissance tendencies of its time.

From Project Gutenberg

Those of us who plead for an easy flowing style consider that she has an almost hypersensitive ear for errors in the use of the English accidence.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alphabet
• syntax