Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective accidental differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of accidental are casual, contingent, and fortuitous. While all these words mean "not amenable to planning or prediction," accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

When might casual be a better fit than accidental?

In some situations, the words casual and accidental are roughly equivalent. However, casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

When is it sensible to use contingent instead of accidental?

While in some cases nearly identical to accidental, contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

When can fortuitous be used instead of accidental?

While the synonyms fortuitous and accidental are close in meaning, fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accidental But there are ways to help keep kids stay safe around water, and to prevent accidental drownings. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 May 2025 Fire officials deemed the blaze accidental, and no arrests were made, the report said. Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 20 May 2025 These strands, which conduct information as pulses of light, have long been vulnerable to accidental damage by fishing trawlers and curious marine predators; more recently, there are fears that they’ve been targeted by saboteurs in the Baltic and the Taiwan Strait. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 The episode takes a more unfortunate turn when Fielder, grasping at straws after Rep. Graves passes on a meeting, tries to wedge his way into a subcommittee meeting by flashing his accidental appeal to the neurodivergent. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for accidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accidental
Adjective
  • Brock Purdy certainly isn't going to be paid like someone who's irrelevant anymore.
    Cesar Brioso, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • But the details of how Peter ran his kingdom are irrelevant, if colorful.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • This could lead to either incomplete repair or the inadvertent admission of a harmful mutation.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 19 May 2025
  • The challenge was made even greater when Matthews took an inadvertent high-stick from Barkov in the left eye during a second-period faceoff, briefly sending him to the Leafs dressing room for further medical attention because of blurred vision.
    Chris Johnston, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Packers didn’t dominate headlines this offseason by backing up the Brink’s truck for an external free agent or pulling off a seismic trade.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • These external sensory stimuli can trigger or worsen migraine symptoms.1 Jump to Key Takeaways 1.
    Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • But during the appearance, an unexpected guest also got some attention from those gathered below!
    Jillian Frankel, People.com, 27 May 2025
  • In the middle of a seven-minute piece interpreted in an appropriately serious manner, Urie elicited unexpected giggles from the audience.
    Daniel Vaillancourt, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • Lauren Heller Since Sagittarians are willing to try anything once, the Fire sign resembles Lauren's adventitious persona.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.
    Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
Adjective
  • This creates a potential for manipulation, albeit unintentional on the AI's part.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • Not including Friday's incident in Racine, at least 63 unintentional shootings by children have already occurred this year, according to Everytown.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Our motivations—both intrinsic and extrinsic—propel us to acquire new skills, build meaningful relationships and progressively assert our autonomy by taking control of our actions.
    Davide Sartini, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • The appeal supports the notion that an extrinsic test wouldn’t be the only way to assess the similarity between the songs.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Footage labeled as ‘incidental’ — which is how the FWC says its two officers labeled their footage — includes FWC officers issuing warnings or non-criminal infraction citations, the policy says.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
  • Programs that nominally reimburse donors for incidental costs are either means-tested against recipients or only offer reimbursement after donation, meaning donors must be able to afford lost wages and other costs upfront.
    Ruby Rorty, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Accidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accidental. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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