English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident +‎ -al.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˌæk.sɪ.ˈdɛn.tl̩/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛntəl

Adjective edit

accidental (comparative more accidental, superlative most accidental)

  1. Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary. [from 14th c.]
    Hyponym: instantial
    1. (philosophy) Nonessential to something's inherent nature (especially in Aristotelian thought). [from 14th c.]
  2. (music) Adjusted by one or two semitones, in temporary departure from the key signature. [from 16th c.]
  3. Occurring sometimes, by chance; occasional. [from 16th c.]
  4. Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; by accident, unintentional. [from 16th c.]
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, Essays, translation of original in French, III.1:
      The way to trueth is but one and simple, that of particular profit and benefit of affaires a man hath in charge, double, uneven and accidentall [translating fortuite].
  5. (geometry) Being a double point with two distinct tangent planes in 4-dimensional projective space.

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

accidental (plural accidentals)

  1. A property which is not essential; a nonessential; anything happening accidentally.
    • 1662, Fuller, Worthies of England:
      He conceived it just that accidentals ... should sink with the substance of the accusation.
  2. (painting, plural only) Those fortuitous effects produced by luminous rays falling on certain objects so that some parts stand forth in abnormal brightness and other parts are cast into a deep shadow.
  3. (music) A sharp, flat, or natural, occurring not at the commencement of a piece of music as the signature, but before a particular note.
  4. Part of a text that has a mainly structural purpose, such as spelling, punctuation, or capitalization.
    Coordinate term: substantive

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams edit

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Late Latin accidentālis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

accidental m or f (masculine and feminine plural accidentals)

  1. accidental

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

Fala edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From accidenti +‎ -al.

Adjective edit

accidental (plural accidentais)

  1. accidental

Etymology 2 edit

From accidenti +‎ -al.

Verb edit

accidental

  1. to have an accident
Conjugation edit

References edit

  • Valeš, Miroslav (2021) Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)[1], 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French accidentel.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ak.t͡ʃi.denˈtal/

Adjective edit

accidental m or n (feminine singular accidentală, masculine plural accidentali, feminine and neuter plural accidentale)

  1. accidental

Declension edit

Related terms edit

Scots edit

Adjective edit

accidental (comparative mair accidental, superlative maist accidental)

  1. accidental

References edit

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Late Latin accidēntālis.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): (Spain) /aɡθidenˈtal/ [aɣ̞.θi.ð̞ẽn̪ˈt̪al]
  • IPA(key): (Latin America) /aɡsidenˈtal/ [aɣ̞.si.ð̞ẽn̪ˈt̪al]
  • Audio (Venezuela):(file)
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: ac‧ci‧den‧tal

Adjective edit

accidental m or f (masculine and feminine plural accidentales)

  1. accidental
  2. nonessential

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Noun edit

accidental m (plural accidentales)

  1. (music) accidental
    Synonym: accidente

Further reading edit