accidentaladjective
uk/ˌæk.sɪˈden.təl/us/ˌæk.səˈden.t̬əl/B2 happening by chance:
Reports suggest that eleven soldiers were killed by accidental fire from their own side.
The site was located after the accidental discovery of bones in a field.
More examples
- All our household goods are insured against accidental damage.
- The coroner concluded that his death was accidental.
- Our meeting wasn't planned - it was completely accidental.
- She says she didn't mean to break it, but I don't think it was accidental.
- When my condition improved after taking the herbal medicine, the doctor said it was purely accidental.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Accidents and disasters
- a knockout blow idiom
- accident
- accidentally
- accidentally on purpose idiom
- accidents will happen idiom
- calamity
- cataclysm
- catastrophe
- debacle
- devil
- disastrous
- emergency
- forest fire
- holocaust
- knockout
- meltdown
- misadventure
- snafu
- the devil to pay idiom
- tragedy
See more results »
accidentalnoun [ C ]
uk/ˌæk.sɪˈden.təl/us/ˌæk.səˈden.t̬əl/accidental noun [ C ] (IN MUSIC)
specialized music a sign showing that there is a temporary change from the key signature (= the set of musical notes that should normally be played for a particular piece of music)
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Technical music terms
- adagio
- allegro
- antiphonal
- arpeggio
- arr
- arrange
- atonal
- cadence
- harmony
- key signature
- legato
- mike check
- motif
- pizzicato
- timbre
- tuning
- twelve-tone
- twelve-tone scale
- unison
- up-tempo
See more results »
accidental noun [ C ] (BIRD)
specialized biology a bird that is found in a place where birds of its type are not usually found :
You may spot accidentals driven in by the stormy weather.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal (non-human) behaviour
- eusocial
- fledge
- lap
- maul
- migrant
- mob
- molt
- nest
- perch
- prey
- prick
- ruminate
- scratch
- shy
- skitter
- slaver 1
- stampede
- suckle
- torpor
- trot
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Unique and unusual