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.
Stef proves to be a loyal pal to Andy, often taunting her about accidentally kissing Mikey instead of Brand. Lisa Stardust, People.com, 7 June 2025 All except one were deemed to have drowned accidentally. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025 Then the plot departs from reality and descends into macabre humor, with Cole accidentally pushing the old lady down the stairs, killing her. Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025 Saget died in 2022 from head trauma after accidentally hitting his head in a Grande Lakes, Florida hotel room. Mekishana Pierre Published, EW.com, 6 June 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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