accidentalism

[ ak-si-den-tl-iz-uhm ]

noun

1. a system of medicine based on the symptoms of a disease, disregarding its origin or cause.
2. Philosophy. any theory holding that some events have no causes.

Other Words From

• acci·dental·ist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of accidentalism¹

First recorded in 1850–55; accidental + -ism

Example Sentences

He told me to say, “See, Little Monkey? See? How else could all those rocks miss you, if not for a twist of complete random chance? You must become a man of accidentalism.”

From Literature

I told him you could only become a boy of accidentalism.

From Literature

“Exactly! Accidentalism, little monk, is the reason accidents happen. I’m sorry you lost the birds, mistook their coincidental passing for a cosmic bond, asked a heretical question, and had stones hucked at your head. But I’m also not sorry, because there’s nothing to be sorry about. I would sooner get mad at a pebble that rolls down a winding mountain trail, right under my yak’s hoof. The pebble could never have stopped itself.”

From Literature

For the philosophic theories relating to this subject see Accidentalism.

From Project Gutenberg

The way in which they contrasted and harmonised with each other was too studied for English traditions, which, in all circumstances, cling to something of the impromptu, an air of accidentalism.

From Project Gutenberg