What does accidentally mean?
Accidentally is an adverb meaning 'by chance' or 'without intention' — it describes actions or events that occur unexpectedly rather than through deliberate choice. It is one of the most frequently used words for describing mishaps and fortunate surprises alike: you might accidentally send a message to the wrong person, or accidentally discover something valuable while looking for something else. The word derives from 'accident', which traces back to the Latin 'accidere', meaning 'to happen' or 'to befall'. Because accidents are inherently unplanned, the adverb carries a sense of spontaneity and unpredictability, whether the outcome is regrettable or serendipitous. It pairs naturally with verbs describing everyday errors — deleting files, spilling drinks, dialing wrong numbers — as well as with famous scientific discoveries that happened by chance. A common misspelling, 'accidently', omits one letter; the correct form includes both the '-al-' and '-ly' endings.
adverbBy chance or without intention; in a manner that is unplanned or unexpected.
- In an unintended or unforeseen way; by chance rather than design.
- (Less common) In a manner relating to non-essential or incidental features.
"She accidentally deleted the entire folder while trying to free up disk space."
"He accidentally sent the email to the wrong recipient."
"Penicillin was famously discovered when Fleming accidentally left a petri dish uncovered."
The word 'accidentally' contains its own history: it comes from the Latin 'accidere', meaning 'to fall upon' — so an accident literally 'falls' on you out of nowhere.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accidentally
Accidentally comes from the noun 'accident', which English borrowed from Old French in the medieval period, itself derived from the Latin 'accidens', the present participle of 'accidere' ('to fall upon, to happen'). The adjective 'accidental' developed from this noun, and the adverb 'accidentally' was formed from the adjective, appearing in English usage by at least the early modern period. Related words sharing the same Latin root include 'incident' (from 'incidere', 'to fall into') and 'cadence' (from 'cadere', 'to fall'), all reflecting the Latin idea of things 'falling' or occurring unexpectedly.
Related word forms
How accidentally is actually used
Accidentally is neutral in register and works in both formal and informal contexts. It typically carries no strong connotation of blame, though in everyday speech it often implies a minor mishap. The spelling 'accidently' (without the second 'a') is a widespread error.
Easily confused with accidentally
Accidently is a common misspelling of accidentally; the correct adverb form includes the -al- before -ly.