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by accident

adjective

Meaning

  • Accidental; as the result of some unforeseen happening or series of events; unexpected; resulting from an event without the foresight, expectation, aid, or design of the person by whose agency it was caused; unintentional.

    "That the injury was by accident is not questioned."

Synonyms

causeless,
incidental,
unintended

adverb

Meaning

  • Accidentally; unintentionally; without meaning to; as the result of an event not expected, aided, or willingly planned.

    "Sorry. I knocked over the vase by accident."

  • As the result of some undesigned, unintended, unrelated, natural, or random occurrence; as the unexpected and unforeseen result of formerly unrelated factors.

    "The car got totaled by accident; a giant snowdrift fell off the church roof."

  • By chance; unexpectedly; as the result of an unrelated series of events.

    "I hadn't seen her for years, but I ran into her by accident at the store."