accidentally en · ADV
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/
- ăk-sĭ-dĕntʹ(ə)lē
Etymology
Etymology tree English accidental Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English accidentally From accidental + -ly.
Meanings
-
In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:accidentally.
He discovered penicillin largely accidentally.
-
Unintentionally.
He accidentally exposed the bacteria to mold spores.
As I arrived at the foot of the hill I overtook two ladies, whom I passed. As I did so, I brushed one of them accidently on the arm.
1899, Knut Hamsun, “Part I”, in George Egerton [pseudonym; Mary Chavelita Dunne Bright], transl., Hunger […], London: Leonard Smithers and Co […], →OCLC, page 15:Robins, of Torquay, had denied a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She claimed the microwave was accidentally turned on by one of the cats after the kitten got inside. But Knutton said the kitten was too small to even get onto the work surface.
2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| accidently | alternative | lexicographic | |
| more accidentally | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most accidentally | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
advertently · knowingly · wittingly · studiously · with awareness · purposely · intentionally · volitionally · strategically · on purpose · wilfully · designedly · by choice · advisedly · selfconsciously · by design · purposefully · consciously · deliberately · voluntarily
Deriveds
Relateds
inadvertently · accident · noncausally · unintentionally · causally · luckily · unwittingly · as luck would have it · unfortunately · involuntarily · acausally · unexpectedly · casually · fortunately · unluckily · accidental
Synonyms
on accident · by chance · fortuitously · by accident · casually · fortuitously · accidentally · adventitiously
Translations (76)
nl toevallig (unexpectedly) · ja 偶然 (unexpectedly) · bg случайно (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · cs náhodou (unexpectedly) · da tilfældigvis (unexpectedly) · ka მოულოდნელად (unexpectedly) · bg случа́йно (unexpectedly) · is óvart (unexpectedly) · de unabsichtlich (unexpectedly) · vi ngẫu nhiên (unexpectedly) · ka შემთხვევით (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · ang wēas (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · hy պատահաբար (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · lv nejauši (unexpectedly) · my မတော်တဆ (unexpectedly) · th โดยไม่ตั้งใจ (unexpectedly) · es accidentalmente (unexpectedly) · lo ໂດຽບັງເອີນ (unexpectedly) · tr yanlışlıkla (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · ko 우연히도 (unexpectedly) · mk случајно (unexpectedly) · eo akcidente (unexpectedly) · ja 誤って (unexpectedly) · id tanpa disadari (unexpectedly) · sk náhodne (unexpectedly) · sv oavsiktligen (unexpectedly) · ro întâmplător (unexpectedly) · fr accidentellement (unexpectedly) · pt acidentalmente (unexpectedly) · it casualmente (unexpectedly) · ja 無意識的に (unexpectedly) · wyi ngabenden-ngain'gi (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · de durch Zufall (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · th เผลอ (unexpectedly) · ur غلطی سے (unexpectedly) · ga de thimpiste (unexpectedly) · ga trí thionóisc (unexpectedly) · he לא בכוונה (unexpectedly) · fi vahingossa (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · id secara kebetulan (unexpectedly) · pl przypadkowo (unexpectedly) · ro accidental (unexpectedly) · hy ակամա (unexpectedly) · de versehentlich (unexpectedly) · fi vahingossa (unexpectedly) · id secara tak sengaja (unexpectedly) · sk náhodou (unexpectedly) · uk випадко́во (unexpectedly) · be выпадко́ва (unexpectedly) · fi sattumalta (unexpectedly) · hy ոչ դիտավորյալ (unexpectedly) · tr kazara (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · de unbeabsichtigt (unexpectedly) · cmn 偶然 (unexpectedly) · de zufällig (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · he במקרה (unexpectedly) · es sin querer (unexpectedly) · te పొరపాటున (unexpectedly) · ka უნებლიეთ (unexpectedly) · fi sattumalta (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · ca accidentalment (unexpectedly) · ia accidentalmente (unexpectedly) · tr ezkaza (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · ru ненаме́ренно (unexpectedly) · la fortuītō (unexpectedly) · hy պատահականորեն (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · la temere (unexpectedly) · ur غلطی (unexpectedly) · ru случа́йно (unexpectedly) · ga de thaisme (unexpectedly) · la casū (unexpectedly) · it accidentalmente (unexpectedly) · tr kazaen (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · ga de thaisme (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one) · de aus Versehen (unexpectedly) · ga de thimpiste (happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one)