ACCIDENTALLY

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does accidentally mean? 

• ACCIDENTALLY (adverb)
  The adverb ACCIDENTALLY has 3 senses:

1. without advance planning

2. of a minor or subordinate nature

3. without intention; in an unintentional manner

  Familiarity information: ACCIDENTALLY used as an adverb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACCIDENTALLY (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Without advance planning

Synonyms:

accidentally; by chance; circumstantially; unexpectedly

Context example:

they met accidentally

Antonym:

deliberately (with intention; in an intentional manner)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of a minor or subordinate nature

Synonyms:

accidentally; incidentally

Context example:

these magnificent achievements were only incidentally influenced by Oriental models

Sense 3

Meaning:

Without intention; in an unintentional manner

Synonyms:

accidentally; unintentionally

Context example:

she hit him unintentionally

Antonym:

deliberately (with intention; in an intentional manner)

Pertainym:

accidental (happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally)

 Context examples 

There was not one family among their acquaintance who had reared and supported a boy accidentally found at their door—not one young man whose origin was unknown.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Well, it is just conceivable that a statesman might find himself in a position where he was not sorry to have such a document accidentally destroyed.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Miss Lucas perceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, and instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

One day, Traddles (the most unfortunate boy in the world) breaks that window accidentally, with a ball.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It is so long since I have seen her, except now and then for a moment accidentally in town!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

But having here accidentally mentioned a minister of state, he commanded me, some time after, to inform him, “what species of Yahoo I particularly meant by that appellation.”

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

This suspicion was given by some words which accidentally dropped from him one evening at the park, when they were sitting down together by mutual consent, while the others were dancing.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Different ways the virus is spread include sharing needles with an infected person and being stuck accidentally by a needle contaminated with the virus.

(HBV, NCI Dictionary)

Felix had accidentally been present at the trial; his horror and indignation were uncontrollable when he heard the decision of the court.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The new studies suggest that people can become infected by consuming açaí when the insect vector, or its faeces, are accidentally mixed with the fruit while blending the juice.

(Açaí fruit can transmit Chagas disease, SciDev.Net)