accidently

adverb

ac·​ci·​dent·​ly ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē 

ˈak-sə-dənt-,

ˈak-sə-ˌdent-

: accidentally

Law enforcement officials said that an unattended candle accidently lit her living room couch on fire.

—Paul Chi

He was turning out of the gateway when he accidently stumbled against a tall man wrapped in a cloak, who was at that moment coming out of the inn door.

—Charles Dickens

Usage of Accidently

The adverb accidently has been in use since the 18th century. It continues to appear regularly in published writing, but it is far less common than accidentally, and it is sometimes cited as an error.

Examples of accidently in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Emergency slide accidently deploys:Delta Air Lines flight canceled after flight crew makes mistake Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025

Around the world, development that has destroyed their nesting grounds and fishing nets that accidently trap and drown the turtles have brought them to the brink of extinction. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 22 Jan. 2025

Last week, emergency evacuation orders were accidently sent to nearly 10 million Los Angeles residents. —John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025

She was promoted to records supervisor after accidently uncovering evidence of a Nazi plot to assassinate all three allied heads of state. —Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above