ACCIDENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does accident mean? 

• ACCIDENT (noun)
  The noun ACCIDENT has 2 senses:

1. an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

2. anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

  Familiarity information: ACCIDENT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACCIDENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("accident" is a kind of...):

misadventure; mischance; mishap (an instance of misfortune)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "accident"):

collision (an accident resulting from violent impact of a moving object)

crash; wreck (a serious accident (usually involving one or more vehicles))

accidental injury; injury (an accident that results in physical damage or hurt)

shipwreck; wreck (an accident that destroys a ship at sea)

casualty; fatal accident (an accident that causes someone to die)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

accident; chance event; fortuity; stroke

Context example:

it was due to an accident or fortuity

Hypernyms ("accident" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "accident"):

hap (an accidental happening)

break; good luck; happy chance (an unexpected piece of good luck)

coincidence; happenstance (an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental)

lottery (something that is regarded as a chance event)

Derivation:

accidental (happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally)

 Context examples 

She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more accidents could happen.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

“Perhaps some accident has befallen him,” said the king, and the next day he sent out two more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayed away.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Titanic: The New Evidence focuses upon research by Irish journalist Senan Molony, who spent 30 years investigating the accident.

(UK documentary claims fire weakened RMS Titanic, Wikinews)

There was in it an old steed, who seemed to be of quality; he alighted with his hind-feet forward, having by accident got a hurt in his left fore-foot.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The rocket launched Saturday included modifications made in response to that accident, including a redesigned helium canister.

(SpaceX Completes Successful Rocket Launch, VOA News)

A substance added to a product but not listed as an ingredient, or a substance that ends up in a product by accident when the product is made.

(Adulterant, NCI Dictionary)

An accident taking place aboard, or involving, any type of aircraft.

(Aircraft Accident, NCI Thesaurus)

Causes of death attributable to accidents or their adverse events.

(Accidents and Adverse Effects, NCI Thesaurus)

Albert Einstein College of Medicine microbiologist William Jacobs and colleagues previously discovered by accident that antioxidants like vitamin C stopped TB bacteria in a test tube from becoming persisters.

(Vitamin C Might Shorten Tuberculosis Treatment Time, Study Indicates, VOA/Steve Baragona)

The necessary regulation is still in its infancy (or non-existent), and the first fatal accidents associated with their use have already been reported.

(Scientists design “smart” asphalts with magnetic materials for safer electric scooters, University of Granada)