Find Synonyms

accidental Synonyms

Another word for accidental

Choosing another word for accidental depends on context, so the 16 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 3 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Happening by chance, unintentionally, or unexpectedly.

Usage Example

"The discovery of penicillin was largely unintentional, resulting from a contaminated Petri dish."

Strongest
unintentional
inadvertent
unplanned
Strong
unexpected
unforeseen
fortuitous
chance
Weak
haphazard

• adjective (Context 2)

Nonessential, subsidiary, or not intrinsic to the true nature of something (especially in philosophy).

Usage Example

"In Aristotelian philosophy, the color of a chair is considered an incidental property rather than part of its essence."

Strongest
incidental
nonessential
Strong
extrinsic
adventitious
secondary
subsidiary
contingent

• noun (Context 3)

A bird or other animal appearing far outside its normal geographic range or migratory path.

Usage Example

"Birdwatchers flocked to the coastal marsh after a rare Siberian vagrant was spotted there."

Strongest
vagrant

Opposites of accidental

The opposite of accidental shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

intentional
essential
deliberate
intrinsic
planned
inherent
purposeful
fundamental
See all opposites of accidental

• Nearby Words

accessorize
accessory
accident
accidental
accidentally
acclaim
acclaimed

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Accidental. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/accidental
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