accidentally
Americanadverb
-
by chance or mistake; in a way that is not planned or intended.
If you break your key, whether accidentally or on purpose, there is a $40 charge to replace it.
-
in a nonessential or subsidiary way; incidentally.
Philosophy is essentially a vocation, and only accidentally a profession.
Usage
Spelling tips for accidentally The word accidentally is hard to spell because it can be hard to remember which letters are doubled and which are not. To add to the confusion, there are two possible spellings of accidentally. While less common, accidently is also an acceptable spelling of the word. How to spell accidentally: It's no accident that many animals have two eyes to see (C) And two ears to Listen (L). This reminds you that the letters c and l are doubled in accidentally, with an a in between.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of accidentally
Explanation
If something happens accidentally, it didn't happen on purpose — blame it on a mistake, chance, or outside forces. There are things you mean to do, like brushing your hair or buttoning your shirt. Then there are things you do accidentally: you didn't mean for them to happen, but they happened anyway. Just about all spilled milk happens accidentally. If a surgeon leaves a scalpel in a patient, let's hope he did it accidentally. And if a football bounces off a defender into the running back's arms and he scores a touchdown, he made a great play — accidentally.
Vocabulary lists containing accidentally
Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 2
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
OPM caterpillars were first accidentally introduced to England in 2005 and the species is subject to a government-led programme of survey and control to minimise its population, spread and impacts, says a Forest Research spokesperson.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
"During a recreational dive in the summer during the undergraduate study of HY Chan in 2019, he accidentally discovered Thecacera sesama sp. nov. in northern Taiwan waters," the researchers said.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Pacing the stage in the throes of one lengthy, unaccompanied solo, Rollins leaps recklessly—and accidentally clears the edge of the stage, landing many feet below on a stone floor.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
During a teaser before the challenge, Probst accidentally announced that contestant Rizo Velovic had lost and didn’t make the final three.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
According to Kate, Lizzie “was the first one who produced these raps. She accidentally discovered the way of making them by playing with her toes against the foot board while in bed.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
