Langimage
English

accidently

|ac-ci-dent-ly|

B2

/ˈæksɪˌdɛntli/

(accidental)

by chance

Base FormPluralAdverb
accidentalaccidentalsaccidentally
Etymology
Etymology Information

'accidently' originates from the Latin word 'accidens,' where 'ad-' meant 'toward' and 'cadere' meant 'to fall.'

Historical Evolution

'accidens' transformed into the Old French word 'accident,' and eventually became the modern English word 'accident' through Middle English.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'a chance event,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'an unintentional event.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adverb 1

by accident; unintentionally.

She accidently deleted the file.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/04/13 15:06