accidentally

adverb

ac·​ci·​dent·​al·​ly ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē How to pronounce accidentally (audio) -ˈden-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce accidentally (audio)
: in an accidental or unintended manner : by accident
I accidentally deleted the file.
The lock prevents the gate from opening accidentally.
Six lionfish were accidentally released from a home aquarium in Biscayne Bay, Fla., during Hurricane Andrew in 1992.Alcestis Cooky Oberg
The Olympic test was thrown out after the test lab accidentally destroyed the backup sample … that's required to confirm a positive result.Christie Aschwanden
He bumped into her accidentally on purpose. [=he bumped into her intentionally but he tried to make it appear to be an accident]

Examples of accidentally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
How to hide Christmas presents Here are some ways to prevent accidentally spoiling your holiday surprise: Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors. Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024 The sketch starts with surgeons accidentally removing the wrong organ due to an annoying co-worker. Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 After Santa Claus is accidentally knocked out of commission on Christmas Eve, Nick's nephew, Danny (Josh Zuckerman), tries to save Christmas — while a trio of con artists try to steal from the Wrigleys. Sydni Ellis, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024 Thuney accidentally gets under the facemask of Garrett and pokes him in the eye. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accidentally 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accidentally was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near accidentally

Cite this Entry

“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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