accident
Other forms: accidents
An accident is an unfortunate event. By their very nature, accidents are not planned. Rear-ending the car ahead of you, spilling milk, losing your footing on an icy sidewalk — all of these are considered accidents.
You will most often hear people use accident to describe an unfortunate mistake, like swerving into oncoming traffic or making a sloppy calculation. However, an accident could have a positive outcome as well: "The invention of the chocolate chip cookie was a happy accident, occurring when the cook decided to add the chopped chocolate to the batter without melting it first."
Definitions of accident
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an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
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types:
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collision
an accident resulting from violent impact of a moving object
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crash, wreck
a serious accident (usually involving one or more vehicles)
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accidental injury, injury
an accident that results in physical damage or hurt
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shipwreck, wreck
an accident that destroys a ship at sea
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casualty, fatal accident
an accident that causes someone to die
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prang
a crash involving a car or plane
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fender-bender
a collision between motor vehicles that produces minor damage
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pileup
multiple collisions of vehicles
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smash, smash-up
a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)
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capsizing
(nautical) the event of a boat accidentally turning over in the water
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collateral damage
(euphemism) inadvertent casualties and destruction inflicted on civilians in the course of military operations
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concussion
injury to the brain caused by a blow; usually resulting in loss of consciousness
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mutilation
an injury that causes disfigurement or that deprives you of a limb or other important body part
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type of:
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misadventure, mischance, mishap
an instance of misfortune
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anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause“winning the lottery was a happy accident”“it was due to an accident or fortuity”
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synonyms:
chance event, fortuity, stroke
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types:
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hap
an accidental happening
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break, good luck, happy chance
an unexpected piece of good luck
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coincidence, happenstance
an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental
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lottery
something that is regarded as a chance event
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type of:
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happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
an event that happens
Pronunciation
US
/ˈæksədənt/
UK
/ˈæksɪdɪnt/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘accident'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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