accident
accident Lexical Profile
accident Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
"Traffic was delayed for two hours following a minor accident on the highway."
An event that happens by chance or without an apparent or deliberate cause; the working of fortune or coincidence.
"The scientist discovered the new adhesive compound purely by accident while testing another formula."
In philosophy and logic, a property or quality of an entity that is not essential to its fundamental nature.
"According to Aristotelian metaphysics, the color of a horse is an accident rather than part of its essence."
Word Nuance & Usage
In safety engineering and public health contexts, 'collision' or 'crash' is often preferred over 'accident' for vehicular incidents to avoid implying that the event was completely unavoidable or devoid of human negligence.
• Rhymes for accident
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'accident', which derives from the Latin 'accidens', the present participle of 'accidere' meaning 'to happen' or 'to fall upon' (from 'ad-', meaning 'to', and 'cadere', meaning 'to fall').