accidentally
adverb
ac·ci·dent·al·ly
ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē 
-ˈden-tᵊl-ē
-ˈden-tᵊl-ē
: 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
Alcestis Cooky ObergThe Olympic test was thrown out after the test lab accidentally destroyed the backup sample … that's required to confirm a positive result.—Christie Aschwanden
Christie AschwandenHe 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
Even if your pet accidentally stains your carpet, this cleaner easily removes the mess.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2025
By separating out the foods, Rice was trying to establish if cross-contact, when an allergen is accidentally transferred from one food to another, had occurred.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
If someone accidentally drags a chain behind their truck, unknowingly sending sparks into the air, that too can set our hills ablaze.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Now, if someone scans data and deliberately decides to delete it or accidentally does so, that’s a different story.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for accidentally 
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.
Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2025
By separating out the foods, Rice was trying to establish if cross-contact, when an allergen is accidentally transferred from one food to another, had occurred.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
If someone accidentally drags a chain behind their truck, unknowingly sending sparks into the air, that too can set our hills ablaze.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Now, if someone scans data and deliberately decides to delete it or accidentally does so, that’s a different story.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for accidentally
Articles Related to accidentally
Dictionary Entries Near accidentally
Cite this Entry
“Accidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidentally. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share