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Accidental

//ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.; Nonessential to something's inherent nature (especially in Aristotelian thought).
  3. 3
    Adjusted by one or two semitones, in temporary departure from the key signature.
  4. 4
    Occurring sometimes, by chance; occasional.
  5. 5
    Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; by accident, unintentional.

    "The discovery was purely accidental."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    Being a double point with two distinct tangent planes in 4-dimensional projective space.
Adjective
  1. 1
    not of prime or central importance wordnet
  2. 2
    happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    A property which is not essential; a nonessential; anything happening accidentally.

    "He conceived it just that accidentals ... should sink with the substance of the accusation."

  2. 2
    a musical notation that makes a note sharp or flat or natural although that is not part of the key signature wordnet
  3. 3
    Those fortuitous effects produced by luminous rays falling on certain objects so that some parts stand forth in abnormal brightness and other parts are cast into a deep shadow. plural, plural-only
  4. 4
    A sharp, flat, or natural, occurring not at the commencement of a piece of music as the signature, but before a particular note.
  5. 5
    Part of a text that has a mainly structural purpose, such as spelling, punctuation, or capitalization.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident + -al.

Etymology 2

From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident + -al.

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