Word: accident Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Latin accidēnslbor. Old French accidentbor. Middle English accident English accident First attested in the late 14th century. From Middle English accident, from Old French accident, from Latin accidēns, present active participle of accidō (“happen”); from ad (“to”) + cadō (“fall”). See cadence, case. In the sense “unintended pregnancy”, first attested in 1932. Pronunciation: /ˈæk.sɪ.dənt/, /ˈæk.sə.dənt/, /-dɛnt/, /ˈæk.sə.dɪnt/ 1. An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences, and (in the strict sense) not directly caused by humans. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: to die by an accident such as an act of God Example: Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, / Of moving accidents by flood and field[…] 2. An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences, and (in the strict sense) not directly caused by humans. Labels: countable, uncountable 3. A collision or crash of a vehicle, aircraft, or other form of transportation that causes damage to the transportation involved; and sometimes injury or death to the transportation's occupants or bystanders in close proximity. (but see Usage notes) Labels: countable, uncountable Example: There was a huge accident on I5 involving 15 automobiles. Example: My insurance went up after the second accident in three months. 4. Any chance event. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: He also objects to the idea of women arising by an accident of nature, preferring the notion that they came about as a 'result of some strong mental impression', and so 'the sex of the progeny would have been settled by the decision of the progenitor'. 5. Chance; random chance. Labels: uncountable Example: c.1861-1863, Richard Chevenix Trench, in 1888, Letters and memorials, Volume 1, Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident, / It is the very place God meant for thee; […] Example: And so with his writing, which he proudly said was a perfect counterpart of his life. Accident played a major part in both. 6. Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential or nonsubstantive. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Beauty is an accident. Example: Lexical gaps are called accidental because their existence is by accident; it is not essential. 7. Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential or nonsubstantive. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: An adjective, so called because adjectitious, or added to a substantive, denotes some quality or accident of the substantive to which it is joined […] 8. An instance of incontinence. Labels: countable, euphemistic, uncountable Example: We weren’t there long when Karin asked about our dog. When we told her Chris was in the car, she insisted we bring him up to the apartment. I rejected her offer and said he might have an accident on the carpet and I didn’t want to worry about it. 9. An instance of incontinence. Labels: countable, euphemistic, uncountable 10. An unintended pregnancy. Labels: countable, euphemistic, uncountable 11. An unintended pregnancy. Labels: countable, derogatory, euphemistic, humorous, uncountable Example: Taylor was our sweet little accident, and we're so glad! 12. An injury. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: Accident is a word which too commonly suffers a like perversion. It is used as if it meant a wound. Example: This little manual contains simple directions for the preliminary treatment of accidents to all parts of the body and of such diseases as persons are suddenly seized with. 13. An irregular surface feature with no apparent cause. Labels: countable, uncountable 14. A sudden discontinuity of ground such as fault of great thickness, bed or lentil of unstable ground. Labels: countable, uncountable 15. A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms. Labels: countable, uncountable 16. Synonym of accidental. Labels: countable, uncountable