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accidentally

/æksɪˈdɛntəli/
/æksɪˈdɛntəli/
IPA guide

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.

Definitions of accidentally
  1. adverb
    without intention; in an unintentional manner
    synonyms: unintentionally
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    deliberately
    with intention; in an intentional manner
  2. adverb
    without advance planning
    “they met accidentally
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    deliberately
    with intention; in an intentional manner
  3. adverb
    of a minor or subordinate nature
    synonyms: incidentally
Pronunciation
US
/æksɪˈdɛntəli/
UK
/æksɪˈdɛntəli/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘accidentally'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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