Dictionary

adventitious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

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• (Northern-California) audio
• /ˌæd.vɛnˈtɪʃ.əs/
• /ˌæd.vənˈtɪʃ.əs/

Etymology

From Medieval Latin adventītius (“coming from abroad, extraneous”), a corruption of Latin adventīcius (“foreign, strange, accidental”), from adventus (“arrival, coming, approach, advent”) + -īcius (suffix forming adjectives), from adveniō (“to arrive”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns).

Meanings

1. From an external source; not innate or inherent, foreign.
2. Accidental, additional, appearing casually.
   • The discovery of the art of making pottery was probably in all cases adventitious, the clay being first used for some other purpose. 1895, Alfred C. Haddon, Evolution in Art, pages 101–102:
   • The adventitious disappearance of those nearer the throne than the duke had, moreover, set tongues awagging. 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 30:
   • In a triad of verbs that admits nothing adventitious, Judah sees, takes, and lies with a woman; […] 1981, Robert Alter, “A Literary Approach to the Bible”, in The Art of Biblical Narrative, page 6:
3. Not congenital; acquired.
4. Developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source.
   • The Velloziaceae have evolved a woody stem which is covered with a layer of adventitious roots mingled with the fibres of the old leaf sheaths; 1985, R. M. T. Dahlgren, H. T. Clifford, P. F. Yeo, The Families of the Monocotyledons, page 101:

Forms

Coordinates

ectopic

Deriveds

nonadventitious · unadventitious · adventitiousness · adventitiously

Relateds

adventively · adventitial · adventive · adventition

Synonyms

exogenous · by accident · accidentary · chanceable · extrinsic · unforeseen · unintended · serendipitous · incidental · random · fortuitous · accidental · sporadic · serendipitous · accidental · acquired · incidental · coincidental · fortuitous · lippening · causeless · occasional · unintentional · spontaneous · by the by · adventitious · casual · unplanned

Translations (66)

fr acquis (from an external source) · fi ulkoinen (from an external source) · ca ectòpic (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · cs adventivní (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · pl przygodny (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · fi sattumanvarainen (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · ca exogen (from an external source) · cs přídatný (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · ca adventici (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · fr exogène (from an external source) · it ausiliario (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · pl zewnętrzny (from an external source) · ga taismeach (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · pt adventício (from an external source) · hu tájidegen (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · fa نابجا (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · nb adventiv (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · pt adventício (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · hu adventív (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · pl nieoczekiwany (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · pl egzogenny (from an external source) · fr auxiliaire (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · ca aquirit (genetics, medicine: not congenital) · pt adventício (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · hu idegen (from an external source) · fi myöhäiskasvuinen (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · pl nabyty (genetics, medicine: not congenital) · fr aléatoire (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · fr acquis (genetics, medicine: not congenital) · ru дополни́тельный (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · cs zanesený odjinud (from an external source) · cs adventivní (from an external source) · fi adventiivinen (genetics, medicine: not congenital) · ru вспомога́тельный (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · ru случа́йный (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · ru доба́вочный (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · ru непреднаме́ренный (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · pl niespodziewany (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · fi adventiivinen (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · ru доба́вочный (from an external source) · tl saanman (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · es adventicio (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · ga aidbhinteach (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · ru вне́шний (from an external source) · ar عَرْضِيّ (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · hu alkalomszerű (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · fi satunnainen (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · it acquisito (genetics, medicine: not congenital) · cs adventivní (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · it esogeno (from an external source) · fr adventice (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · pl egzogeniczny (from an external source) · cs náhodný (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · pl ektopowy (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · fr ectopique (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · it avventizio (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · es adventicio (from an external source) · it aleatorio (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · cs přídavný (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · fr adventice (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · hu alkalmi (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · ca adventici (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · pl przypadkowy (accidental, additional, appearing casually) · it ectopico (biology: developing in an unusual place or from an unusual source) · fr adventice (from an external source) · es adventicio (accidental, additional, appearing casually)