accident (ˈæksɪdənt
)
Definitions
noun
- an unforeseen event or one without an apparent cause
- anything that occurs unintentionally or by chance; chance; fortune ⇒
I met him by accident
- a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing injury or death
- Also called
adjunct logic philosophy a nonessential attribute or characteristic of something (as opposed to substance) - metaphysics a property as contrasted with the substance in which it inheres
- geology a surface irregularity in a natural formation, esp in a rock formation or a river system
Word Origin
C14: via Old French from Latin accident- chance, happening, from the present participle of accidere to befall, happen, from ad- to + cadere to fallQuotations
"Accidents will occur in the best-regulated families"
"now and then there is a person bornwho is so unlucky that he runs into accidentswhich started out to happen to somebody else"
Translations
- British English:
accident
An accident is something nasty that happens, and that hurts someone.He broke his leg in a car accident.ˈæksɪdənt NOUN He broke his leg in a car accident.
- Spanish:
accidente
nm
- French:
accident
nm
- German:
Unfall
nm
- Chinese: 事故 n
- Arabic: حادِثَة n
- Portuguese: acidente nm
- Russian: несчастный случай nm
- Croatian: nezgoda nf
- Czech: nehoda nf
- Danish: ulykke nutr
- Dutch: ongeluk nnt
- Finnish: onnettomuus n
- Greek: ατύχημα nnt
- Italian: incidente n
- Japanese: 事故 n
- Korean: 사고 n
- Norwegian: ulykke nm
- Polish: wypadek nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: acidente nm
- European Spanish:
accidente
nm
- Swedish: olycka nutr
- Thai: อุบัติเหตุ n
- Turkish: kaza n
- Vietnamese: tai nạn n
- British English:
accident
If something happens by accident, you do not expect it to happen.I dropped a cup by accident.ˈæksɪdənt NOUN I dropped a cup by accident.
- French:
par hasard
adv
- Arabic: مُصَادَقَة n
- Brazilian Portuguese: acidente nm
Usage examples
They judge people by their actions, not an accident of birth.
, TREASON KEEP (2001)All they had to report was that it was nothing more than a tragic accident.
Country Life (2004)Initially, Garda Murray said, he denied any involvement in the accident.
Irish Times (2002)He sustained head and internal injuries in the accident near Pitlochry, Perthshire.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The emergence of popular capitalism was largely an accident.
, DOT.CON (2001)