Word
accidently
Phoneticsac·ci·dent·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈæksədəntɫi/
UK/ˈæksɪdəntli/
Definition
adv. by mistake or without meaning to. You use this when you do something wrong because you were not careful.
adv. by mistake or unintentionally. Informal in register; often used in British English to describe accidental errors.
Examples
“I accidently deleted the wrong file.”
“She accidently sent the confidential email to the entire department instead of just her manager.”
“The software update accidently removed several essential system files, leaving the computer in a state where it could not boot up properly.”
Examples
simple
“I accidently deleted the wrong file.”
contextual
“She accidently sent the confidential email to the entire department instead of just her manager.”
complex
“The software update accidently removed several essential system files, leaving the computer in a state where it could not boot up properly.”
Etymology
From Middle English accidently, accidentli (“by chance; temporarily; artificially”), equivalent to accident + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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