Accidental - English meaning

noun

A thing which can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive.

Usage examples:

Optional accessories include a battery charger and shoulder strap

adjective

Contributing to or aiding an activity or process in a minor way; subsidiary or supplementary.

Usage examples:

Functionally the maxillae are a pair of accessory jaws

adjective

Happening as a result of an external factor or chance rather than design or inherent nature.

Usage examples:

Adventitious similarities

adjective

Depending on the throw of a dice or on chance; random.

Usage examples:

Fortunately, some cosmologists have lately begun to consider models in which the ‘initial condition…

adjective

Happening, done, or chosen by chance, rather than according to any plan

Usage examples:

We need a theory that takes into account the aleatory nature of history., i can list names of poets…

adjective

Relaxed and unconcerned.

Usage examples:

A casual attitude to life

noun

A person who does something irregularly.

Usage examples:

A number of casuals became regular customers

adjective

Not serious or careful in attitude; only partly interested

Usage examples:

A casual glance at a magazine, even to the casual observer, the forgery was obvious., we have a sma…

noun

A possibility of something happening.

Usage examples:

There is a chance of winning the raffle

adjective

Fortuitous; accidental.

Usage examples:

A chance meeting

verb

Do something by accident or without intending to.

Usage examples:

He was very effusive if they chanced to meet

adjective

Resulting from a coincidence; happening by chance.

Usage examples:

Any resemblance between their reports is purely coincidental

adjective

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.

Usage examples:

One is obliged to wade through many pages of extraneous material

adjective

Not directly connected or related to a matter being considered

Usage examples:

We must not be distracted by extraneous issues, she said.

adjective

Not part of the essential nature of someone or something; coming or operating from outside.

Usage examples:

A complex interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic factors

adjective

Obtained or achieved more by chance than skill.

Usage examples:

A fluky goal

adjective

(of something good) happening as the result of chance instead of skill or planning

Usage examples:

There was nothing fluky about her victory or her tactics., we won with a flukey goal.

adjective

Happening by chance rather than intention.

Usage examples:

The similarity between the paintings may not be simply fortuitous

adjective

(esp. of something to your advantage) happening by chance

Usage examples:

We made a fortuitous escape., the discovery of the files was fortuitous., they had fortuitously bee…

suffix

A connecting vowel chiefly forming words ending in -ana, -ferous, -fic, -form, -fy, -gerous, -vorous.

suffix

Forming the plural of nouns adopted from latin ending in -us.

Usage examples:

Foci

suffix

Forming adjectives from names of countries or regions in the near or middle east.

Usage examples:

Azerbaijani

adjective

Happening as a minor accompaniment to something else.

Usage examples:

For the fieldworker who deals with real problems, paperwork is incidental

noun

An incidental expense, event, etc.

Usage examples:

An allowance to cover meals, taxis, and other incidentals

adjective

Happening by chance, or in connection with something of greater importance

Usage examples:

His influence on younger employees was incidental, not intentional., will i be reimbursed for incid…

adjective

Not connected with or relevant to something.

Usage examples:

An irrelevant comment

adjective

Not related to what is being discussed or considered

Usage examples:

These documents are totally irrelevant to the investigation., many of these problems may simply fad…

adjective

Not so great or important as the other or the rest.

Usage examples:

He was convicted of a lesser assault charge

adjective

Not as great in size, amount, or importance as something else

Usage examples:

Texas and, to a lesser degree, oklahoma will be affected by the drought.

adjective

Relating to or at the edge or margin.

Usage examples:

Marginal notes

noun

A seat in a parliament or on a council that is held by a small majority and is at risk in an election.

Usage examples:

She is defending a key marginal for the tories

adjective

Small in amount or effect

Usage examples:

The difference between the two bids was marginal., i think his guess is only marginally better than…

adjective

Lesser in importance, seriousness, or significance.

Usage examples:

She requested a number of minor alterations

noun

A person under the age of full legal responsibility.

Usage examples:

The court would take account of the minor's wishes

verb

Short for minor suit.

Usage examples:

A bid of two no trumps shows strength in the minors

adjective

Relating to or inserted as a parenthesis.

Usage examples:

Parenthetical remarks

adjective

Written in parentheses, or said in addition to the main part of what you are saying

Usage examples:

He added a parenthetical comment to his original statement.

adjective

Relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something.

Usage examples:

The peripheral areas of europe

noun

A peripheral device.

Usage examples:

Printers and other peripherals

adjective

Not central or of main importance

Usage examples:

First of all, we had to find out who the thief was – getting the money back was a peripheral issue.

adjective

Made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision.

Usage examples:

Apparently random violence

noun

An unknown, unspecified, or odd person.

Usage examples:

I just sat down by myself and talked to some randoms

adjective

Happening, done, or chosen by chance rather than according to a plan or pattern

Usage examples:

A random sample, he was stopped at the border in a random check., dylan picked several books at ran…

adjective

Coming after, less important than, or resulting from someone or something else that is primary.

Usage examples:

The plot is of secondary importance: what matters most is the relationships between the characters

noun

Former term for mesozoic.

adjective

Less important than related things

Usage examples:

A coach’s first responsibility is to the team – everything else is secondary., the secondary curric…

adjective

Occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Usage examples:

A serendipitous encounter

adjective

Happening or found by chance

Usage examples:

Reading should be an adventure, a personal experience full of serendipitous surprises., a team of r…

adjective

Lower in rank or position.

Usage examples:

His subordinate officers

noun

A person under the authority or control of another within an organization.

Usage examples:

He was mild-mannered, especially with his subordinates

verb

Treat or regard as of lesser importance than something else.

Usage examples:

Practical considerations were subordinated to political expediency

adjective

Less important than but related or supplementary to something.

Usage examples:

A subsidiary flue of the main chimney

noun

A company controlled by a holding company.

Usage examples:

A subsidiary of cable and wireless

adjective

Completing or enhancing something.

Usage examples:

The programme offers supplementary information about the news

noun

A supplementary person or thing.

Usage examples:

Obviously we are a panel of three and different members of the panel will explore different issues,…

adjective

Added to something else in order to improve it or complete it

Usage examples:

Teachers often create supplementary materials for their classes., some workers are eligible for sup…

adjective

Relating to or along a tangent.

Usage examples:

A tangential line

adjective

Not expected or predicted.

Usage examples:

One of the unanticipated gains of the reforms has been the shift of emphasis to primary care

adjective

Not having been expected to happen

Usage examples:

This was yet another unanticipated event that upset the administration's plans and expectations., i…

adjective

Not expected or regarded as likely to happen.

Usage examples:

His death was totally unexpected

adjective

Not expected; surprising

Usage examples:

What an unexpected treat to meet you here!

adjective

Not anticipated or predicted.

Usage examples:

Our insurance package enables you to protect yourself and your dependants against unforeseen circum…

adjective

Lacking in importance or significance.

Usage examples:

Trivial and unimportant details

adjective

Not important

Usage examples:

The money we lost is relatively unimportant, but the emotional stress of being robbed is hard to ge…

adjective

Not planned or meant.

Usage examples:

The unintended consequences of people's actions

adjective

Not done on purpose.

Usage examples:

The translation added a layer of unintentional comedy

adjective

Not planned or intended

adjective

Not expected

Usage examples:

Unlooked-for joy