accidental

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'accidental' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to describe something that was not intentional or happened by chance. Example: She tripped and fell down the stairs, but it was an accidental slip.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Opinion

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It was not just an accidental lack of interest in what was going on at Kincora but it was a deliberate cover-up," Long said.

The Guardian

It was far from a cynical attempt to cheat, any contact with the ball was clearly accidental and most people felt he deserved the benefit of the doubt.

The Guardian - Sport

The BBC press office's statement directly contradicted Khawaja's explanation of a prank, saying the accidental tweet had been linked to the training exercise.

The Guardian

Not to mention the accidental harm that panicked people can do to each other when crammed into confined spaces.

The Guardian - Sport

Attention was not called to it during the parliamentary process, which may not have been accidental.

The Guardian

"I remember how," she later said, "during the war, a bombing once led to the accidental unearthing of a carved Anglo-Norman capital in which the artificial colouring of the stone had somehow been preserved.

The Guardian - Arts

An accidental Grexit would be a leap into the unknown for everyone.

The Guardian - Opinion

The group won a deal under which cuts in their emissions will be relaxed if a study shows next year that preventing accidental releases of oil would produce the same benefit.

The Guardian

Economists at Daiwa Capital Markets warned about the rising prospects of an "accidental default" by Greece in the absence of fresh funding.

The Guardian - Business

Clancy's attention to equipment and technology reflects growing concerns about cyberwar and drone technology, illustrated by an accidental "quad-copter" crash on White House grounds in January.

The Guardian

Although it seems like a separate thing – a hangover from the cold war or a product of an "accidental" revolution – the Ukraine dispute cannot be kept clear of the economic fault lines produced by the six-year crisis.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing an event, use "accidental" to emphasize that it was not planned or intentional, differentiating it from negligence or deliberate action.

Common error

Avoid using "accidental" when you mean "incidental". "Accidental" means unintentional, while "incidental" means occurring as a minor consequence in connection with something else.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "accidental" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate that something occurred unintentionally or by chance, as demonstrated in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Sport

12%

Opinion

8%

Less common in

Business

5%

Travel

3%

Film

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "accidental" functions as an adjective signifying an unintentional or chance occurrence. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and widely used. Its frequency is very common, particularly in news and media contexts. When using "accidental", ensure it accurately conveys a lack of intent, differentiating it from related terms like "incidental" or "negligent". The diverse examples from Ludwig highlight its versatility and appropriateness across various domains.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unintentional

Focuses on the lack of intent behind an action.

inadvertent

Highlights the lack of attention or care leading to an action.

unplanned

Emphasizes the absence of a prior arrangement or design.

fortuitous

Suggests that the event happened by chance and brought a positive outcome.

chance

Implies that the event occurred purely by luck or random occurrence.

coincidental

Highlights that the event happened at the same time as something else by chance.

unexpected

Emphasizes that the event was not anticipated or foreseen.

involuntary

Implies that the action was not done by one's own free will.

by mistake

Focuses on the action being done incorrectly or erroneously.

unanticipated

Similar to "unexpected" but can imply a stronger element of surprise.

FAQs

How to use "accidental" in a sentence?

You can use "accidental" to describe events that happened unintentionally. For example, "The damage was "accidental" and not deliberate."

What can I say instead of "accidental"?

You can use alternatives like "unintentional", "inadvertent", or "unplanned" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "accidental" or "coincidental"?

"Accidental" refers to something happening unintentionally, while "coincidental" means events happening at the same time by chance. Use "accidental" when describing an unintentional event; use "coincidental" when describing simultaneous chance events.

What's the difference between "accidental" and "negligent"?

"Accidental" refers to an unintentional event, while "negligent" implies a failure to exercise reasonable care, which results in unintentional harm. Negligence involves a degree of carelessness, while an accident can occur without any fault.