accidental en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident + -al.
Meanings
-
Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.
It would be absurd to say that Marxism was predestined to become the ideology of the self-glorifying Russian bureaucracy. Nevertheless, it contained essential features, as opposed to accidental or secondary ones, that made it adaptable to this purpose.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume III: The Breakdown, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozkład (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 161:
- Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary. ▸ Nonessential to something's inherent nature (especially in Aristotelian thought).
- Adjusted by one or two semitones, in temporary departure from the key signature.
- Occurring sometimes, by chance; occasional.
-
Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; by accident, unintentional.
The way to trueth is but one and simple, that of particular profit and benefit of affaires a man hath in charge, double, uneven and accidentall [translating fortuite].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, Essays, translation of original in French, III.1:accidental damage
The discovery was purely accidental.
He was killed by an accidental gunshot.
entirely accidental
accidental death
- Being a double point with two distinct tangent planes in 4-dimensional projective space.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more accidental | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most accidental | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| accidentall | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Antonyms
inevitable · intentional · impossible
Deriveds
accidental property · accidental color · pseudoaccidental · accidentality · accidental lights · accidental chords · accidentalist · unaccidental · nonaccidental · accidental colors · accidental abortion · accidentalism · accidental light · accidental point · accidentalness · accidentally · accidental gap · accidental chord · accidental colour · accidental death
Hyponyms
Relateds
Synonyms
causeless · accidental · unforeseen · unintentional · contingent · circumstantial (not essential) · fortuitous · chanceable · unintended · by the by · unplanned · by accident · incidental · serendipitous · occasional · casual · lippening · accidentary · random · adventitious (happening by chance)
Translations (65)
da tilfældig (happening by chance) · nl toevallig (happening by chance) · hy պատահական (happening by chance) · el τυχαίος (happening by chance) · hu véletlen (happening by chance) · sk náhodný (happening by chance) · ar عَرْضِيّ (happening by chance) · fr accidentel (happening by chance) · fi sattumanvarainen (happening by chance) · bg неоча́кван (happening by chance) · es casual (happening by chance) · eo akcidenta (happening by chance) · fi sattumalta (happening by chance) · it accidentale (happening by chance) · de zufällig (happening by chance) · la fortuītus (happening by chance) · grc τυχαῖος (happening by chance) · cmn 偶然 (happening by chance) · es imprevisto (happening by chance) · nb tilfeldig (happening by chance) · ba осраҡлы (happening by chance) · ru неожи́данный (happening by chance) · ur حادثاتی (happening by chance) · ga aimseach (happening by chance) · sl naključen (happening by chance) · ka შემთხვევითი (happening by chance) · ko 우연하다 (happening by chance) · uk несподі́ваний (happening by chance) · ro întâmplător (happening by chance) · sh слу̏ча̄јан (happening by chance) · ga toirmeascach (happening by chance) · tt очраклы (happening by chance) · uz tasodifiy (happening by chance) · be неспадзява́ны (happening by chance) · uk випадко́вий (happening by chance) · mk случаен (happening by chance) · eo hazarda (happening by chance) · hi इत्तफ़ाक़िया (happening by chance) · sh nenámjeran (happening by chance) · sh slȕčājan (happening by chance) · cs náhodný (happening by chance) · mi kōpeka (happening by chance) · hi आगंतुक (happening by chance) · hi आकस्मिक (happening by chance) · ja 偶然の (happening by chance) · ur ناگہاں (happening by chance) · fa تصادفی (happening by chance) · ro accidental (happening by chance) · eo neatendita (happening by chance) · bg случа́ен (happening by chance) · pt acidental (happening by chance) · es accidental (happening by chance) · be выпадко́вы (happening by chance) · tg тасодуфӣ (happening by chance) · de versehentlich (happening by chance) · ru случа́йный (happening by chance) · he מִקְרִי (happening by chance) · sh нена́мјеран (happening by chance) · ko 돌발적 (happening by chance) · pl przypadkowy (happening by chance) · ca accidental (happening by chance) · es fortuito (happening by chance) · sv tillfällig (happening by chance) · cs nahodilý (happening by chance) · hi संयोगी (happening by chance)