English Reference
Noun

accidentalism

n.
C2 Proficiency ac·ci·den·tal·ism

n.the belief that things happen by chance rather than by a plan or design. It suggests that the world is not controlled by a higher power or a specific purpose.

n.the philosophical doctrine that events occur by chance or accident rather than by necessity or design. Often contrasted with determinism or teleology.


SIMPLE

The scientist's theory was based on accidentalism rather than divine purpose.

CONTEXTUAL

In his latest book, the philosopher argues for accidentalism, claiming that the universe has no inherent meaning or direction.

COMPLEX

The debate between accidentalism and intentionalism remains a cornerstone of metaphysics, with proponents of the former insisting that all cosmic phenomena are the result of random statistical fluctuations.


From accidental + -ism.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Rare
Updated