# accidentally

Pronunciation: say "ak-si-DEN-tuh-lee" /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/

## Adverb

1. Without intending to, as the result of a mistake rather than deliberate action.
   - Simple: Without meaning to, by mistake instead of on purpose.
   - _The witness accidentally revealed the suspect's location during questioning._
   - _Workers accidentally cut the main cable, knocking out power for hours._
2. By chance or unexpectedly, not as a result of any plan.
   - Simple: By chance, when no one planned for it to happen.
   - _The two researchers accidentally arrived at the same conclusion independently._
   - _She accidentally stumbled upon the hidden trail during her afternoon walk._

## Origin

Formed from "accidental" combined with the suffix "-ly".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/accidentally (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).