accident
- 01 A2 Elementary
something bad that happens that no one intended or planned.
an unexpected and undesirable event, especially one resulting in damage or harm, occurring without specific intent.
Simple“The vase broke by accident when the cat jumped on the table.”
In context“The investigation concluded that the chemical spill was a pure accident caused by a faulty valve rather than human negligence.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
a crash involving cars, trains, or other vehicles.
a collision involving one or more vehicles, typically resulting in mechanical damage or personal injury.
Simple“There was a bad accident on the motorway, so traffic is moving very slowly.”
In context“Emergency services arrived at the scene of the multi-car accident within minutes to treat the injured passengers.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the way things happen without any plan or cause.
the unpredictable element of chance in events; randomness.
Simple“It was just an accident of birth that he was born into a wealthy family.”
In context“Their meeting in such a remote part of the world was a remarkable accident of timing.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
a polite way to say someone accidentally went to the toilet in their clothes.
a euphemism for an instance of urinary or faecal incontinence, especially regarding children or the elderly.
Simple“The toddler had a little accident because we couldn't find a bathroom in time.”
In context“The nursery school teacher kept a spare set of clothes in case any of the children had an accident during the afternoon nap.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
a quality of something that is not its most important part.
an attribute or property of a thing that is not essential to its nature or existence.
Simple“The colour of the car is just an accident; its speed is what matters.”
In context“In Aristotelian logic, the fact that a man is sitting is an accident of his current state, not an essential part of being human.”
- 06 C2 Proficiency
an unusual shape or break in the ground or rocks.
an irregular surface feature or a sudden discontinuity in the ground, such as a fault.
Simple“The miners had to stop work when they hit a geological accident in the rock layer.”
In context“The survey identified several surface accidents that suggested significant tectonic activity in the region's distant past.”
Synonymsfaultirregularity
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-der. Proto-Italic *kadō Latin cadō Latin accidō Latin accidēns Old French accidentbor. Middle English accident English accident First attested in the late 14th century. From Middle English accident, from Old French accident, from Latin accidēns, present active participle of accidō (“happen”); from ad (“to”) + cadō (“fall”). See cadence, case. In the sense “unintended pregnancy”, first attested in 1932.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.