accidentally
- 01 B1 Intermediate
by mistake or without planning it.
unintentionally or by mistake; describes an action performed without deliberate purpose.
Simple“I accidentally deleted the email while I was trying to move it to a folder.”
In context“The witness accidentally revealed the location of the safe house during the cross-examination, much to the frustration of the legal team.”
UsageUsually placed before the main verb or at the end of a clause.
PitfallI accidently broke the glass. I accidentally broke the glass.A common spelling mistake is to forget the 'al' in the middle. Remember: accident + al + ly.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
happening by luck or chance rather than being planned.
occurring by chance or unexpected coincidence rather than design.
Simple“We met accidentally at the train station after not seeing each other for years.”
In context“The researchers accidentally discovered the new compound while they were investigating a completely unrelated chemical reaction.”
Synonymsfortuitouslyby chanceAntonymscalculatedly
“Most fires are started by humans, whether deliberately or accidentally, but this summer's hot and dry weather has created ideal conditions for blazes.”
“The concept centers on the idea of accidentally slipping out of normal reality and becoming trapped in this monotonous, labyrinthine environment with no clear exit.”
From accidental + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.