Library / English Dictionary

ACCIDENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

Example:

it was due to an accident or fortuity

Synonyms:

accident; chance event; fortuity; stroke

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

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)

Sense 2

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The risk for death via unintentional injury (i.e., accidents) was also markedly elevated — 16 times higher for the deliberate self-harm group and 13 times higher for the ideation group than for demographically similar Californians.

(Emergency department study reveals patterns of patients at increased risk for suicide, National Institutes of Health)

A stranger died by accident and it was nobody’s business to inquire.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I am sorry to knock you up so early, Doctor, said he, but I have had a very serious accident during the night.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I had no idea of the lengths to which this would carry him, until the merest accident opened my eyes to it.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"It is a dreadful accident, I know," Ruth recommenced with a sinking voice.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Binge drinking - drinking five or more drinks at one time - can damage your health and increase your risk for accidents, injuries and assault.

(Alcohol, NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

Injuries to any of these parts of the arm can occur during sports, a fall or an accident.

(Arm Injuries and Disorders, NIH)

A surgeon who specializes in reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects, or treatment for diseases.

(Plastic surgeon, NCI Dictionary)

So strange an accident has happened to us that I cannot forbear recording it, although it is very probable that you will see me before these papers can come into your possession.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Falls or accidents, including car accidents, are another common cause of neck pain.

(Neck Injuries and Disorders, NIH)