Accident Definition and Meaning - Collins English Dictionary

10/25/23, 6:16 PM Accident definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
 LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR GAMES SCHOOLS


accident 
English French German Italian Spanish
English Dictionary Thesaurus Word Lists Grammar  Conjugations Sentences Vi
English Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences  G

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LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR GAMES SCHOOLS
Word Frequency
OCTOBER 23, 2023 



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 READ MORE
(æksɪdənt )
English
Word forms: French
plural accidents  German Italian Spanish
Grammar 
1. COUNTABLE NOUN English Dictionary Thesaurus Word Lists Conjugations Sentences Vi
An accident happens when a vehicle

hits a person, an object, or another
vehicle, causing injury or damage.
She was involved in a serious car

accident last week.
Six passengers were killed in the
accident.
Synonyms: crash, smash, wreck,

collision More Synonyms of accident
2. COUNTABLE NOUN
If someone has an accident,
something unpleasant happens to
them that was not intended,
sometimes causing injury or death.
5,000 people die every year because

of accidents in the home.
The police say the killing of the young
man was an accident.
Synonyms: misfortune, blow,

disaster, tragedy More Synonyms of
accident
3. VARIABLE NOUN [usu by N]

If something happens by accident, it
happens completely by chance.
She discovered the problem by

accident.
  Almost
  like an accident of nature, this
family has produced more talent than
seems possible.
Synonyms: chance, fortune, luck, fate
More Synonyms of accident

4. See an accident waiting to happen
5. SeeEnglish
it's no accidentFrench German Italian Spanish
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
accident
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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LANGUAGE
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TRANSLATOR 
GAMES SCHOOLS

English Quiz
Confusables
accident
Word Frequency
in British English
(ˈæksɪdənt  )
NOUN
1. an unforeseen event or one without an

apparent cause
2. anything that occurs unintentionally or

by chance; chance; fortune
I met him by accident
3. a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing

injury or death
4. Also called: adjunct logic, philosophy

a nonessential attribute or characteristic
of something (as opposed to substance)
5. metaphysics
a property as contrasted with the
substance in which it inheres
6. geology
a surface irregularity in a natural
formation, esp in a rock formation or a
river system
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins

Publishers
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 fall
  

accident
LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR
Word Frequency
GAMES SCHOOLS

in American English
(ˈæksədənt
)
NOUN English French German Italian Spanish
1. a happening that is not expected,
foreseen, or intended
2. an unpleasant and unintended

happening, sometimes resulting from
negligence, that results in injury, loss,
damage, etc.
3. fortune; chance
to meet by accident
4. an attribute or quality that is not

essential
5. Geography and Geology

an irregular formation
6. Law
an unforeseen event that occurs without
anyone's fault or negligence
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition.

Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All
rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < OFr < L accidens, prp. of accidere, to
fall upon, happen < ad-, to + cadere, to fall:
see case1
  

accident
LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR
Word Frequency
GAMES SCHOOLS

in American English
(ˈæksɪdənt)
NOUN English French German Italian Spanish
1. an undesirable or unfortunate
happening that occurs unintentionally
and usually results in harm, injury,
damage, or loss; casualty; mishap
automobile accidents
2. Law
such a happening resulting in injury that
is in no way the fault of the injured
person for which compensation or
indemnity is legally sought
3. any event that happens unexpectedly,

without a deliberate plan or cause
4. chance; fortune; luck

I was there by accident
5. a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or

characteristic
an accident of birth
6. Philosophy
any entity or event contingent upon the
existence of something else
7. Geology
a surface irregularity, usually on a small
scale, the reason for which is not
apparent
SYNONYMS
1. mischance, misfortune, misadventure;
contingency; disaster.
ANTONYMS
4. design, intent.
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random

House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin
Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1350–1400; ME ‹ L accident- (s. of accidēns
happening, prp. of accidere to befall), equiv.
to ac- ac- + -cid-, comb. form of cad- fall + -
ent- -ent]
  

Examples of 'accident' inTRANSLATOR

LANGUAGE a sentence GAMES SCHOOLS
 
accident
 These examples have been automatically selected
and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect
the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent
company HarperCollins. English Dictionary Thesaurus Word Lists Grammar  Conjugations Sentences Vi
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to
the Collins team. Read more…
Thousands of workers have died in accidents.

The Guardian (2015)
Accidents involving trains and vehicles

stopped on tracks are not rare.
The Guardian (2015)
But the focus there has been on race during

this period is no accident either.
The Guardian (2015)
These talks did not fail by accident.

The Guardian (2015)
Fewer accidents and risks means lower

insurance costs.
The Guardian (2016)
We set up roadside crosses and flowers at

the scene of fatal traffic accidents.
Christianity Today (2000)
They are supposed to be used to warn us of

queuing traffic or an accident ahead.
The Sun (2016)
There have been accidents on the road in the

past.
The Sun (2009)
It appears to have been just an accident.

The Sun (2010)
Any accident or injury that is caused should

be fully placed on the shoulders of the
escaping driver.
The Sun (2012)
  


Quotations 
Accidents will occur in the best-regulated
familiesEnglish French German Italian Spanish
Charles DickensDavid Copperfield
now and then there is a person born
who is so unlucky that he runs into
accidents
which started out to happen to somebody
else
Don Marquisarchys life of mehitabel
COBUILD Collocations
accident
accident damage
accident investigation
accident investigator
accident occurs
accident of birth
accident of fate
accident of timing
accident rate
accident reconstruction
accident scene
Show more...
Trends of
accident
View usage for: All Years
  

In other languages
 
accident
 /ˈæksɪdənt/ noun
British English: accident
English French German
mishap An accident is something nasty that
Italian Spanish
happens, and that hurts someone.
He broke his leg in a car accident.
American English: accident  /ˈæksɪdənt/

Arabic: ‫حاِد َثة‬ 
Brazilian Portuguese: acidente 
Chinese: 事故 
Croatian: nezgoda 
Czech: nehoda 
Danish: uheld 
Dutch: ongeluk 
European Spanish: accidente 
Finnish: onnettomuus 
French: accident 
German: Unfall 
Greek: ατύχημα 
Italian: incidente 
Japanese: 事故 
Korean: 사고  사건
Norwegian: ulykke 
Polish: wypadek 
European Portuguese: acidente 
Romanian: accident
Russian: несчастный случай 
Latin American Spanish: accidente 
Swedish: olycka 
Thai: อุบัติเหตุ 
Turkish: kaza 
Ukrainian: аварія
Vietnamese: tai nạn 
British English: accident  /ˈæksɪdənt/ noun
something unplanned If something happens
by accident, you do not expect it to happen.
I dropped a cup by accident.
American English: accident  /ˈæksɪdənt/

Arabic: ‫ُمَص اَد َقة‬
Brazilian Portuguese: acidente 
Chinese: 意外
Croatian: slučajno
Czech: náhoda
Danish: uheld
Dutch: ongeluk
European Spanish: accidente 
Finnish:
  vahinko

French: par hasard 
German: versehentlich 
Greek: ατύχημα
Italian: incidente 
Japanese: 思いがけず
LANGUAGE
Korean: TRANSLATOR GAMES SCHOOLS
우연
Norwegian: feil

Polish: wypadek
European Portuguese: acidente 
English
Romanian: greșeală French German Italian Spanish
Russian: случайно English Dictionary Thesaurus Word Lists Grammar  Conjugations Sentences Vi
Latin American Spanish: accidente  sin
intención
Swedish: råka
Thai: เหตุบังเอิญ
Turkish: kazayla
Ukrainian: випадковість
Vietnamese: vô tình
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accident
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accident
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Source
Definition of accident from the Collins

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10/25/23, 6:16 PM Accident definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

 LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR GAMES SCHOOLS

English Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences  G

Quick Word Challenge

What is this an image of?

What’s the difference

An accident happens when a vehicle

She was involved in a serious car

Synonyms: crash, smash, wreck,

5,000 people die every year because

Synonyms: misfortune, blow,

3. VARIABLE NOUN [usu by N]

She discovered the problem by

American English pronunciation

 You may also

1. an unforeseen event or one without an

2. anything that occurs unintentionally or

3. a misfortune or mishap, esp one causing

4. Also called: adjunct logic, philosophy

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins

2. an unpleasant and unintended

4. an attribute or quality that is not

5. Geography and Geology

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition.

3. any event that happens unexpectedly,

4. chance; fortune; luck

5. a fortuitous circumstance, quality, or

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random

Examples of 'accident' inTRANSLATOR

Thousands of workers have died in accidents.

Accidents involving trains and vehicles

But the focus there has been on race during

These talks did not fail by accident.

Fewer accidents and risks means lower

We set up roadside crosses and flowers at

They are supposed to be used to warn us of

There have been accidents on the road in the

It appears to have been just an accident.

Any accident or injury that is caused should

 LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR GAMES SCHOOLS

American English: accident  /ˈæksɪdənt/

American English: accident  /ˈæksɪdənt/

Translate your text for free

All ENGLISH words that begin with 'A'

View more related words

Definition of accident from the Collins

Quick Word Challenge

English French German Italian Spanish

parrot ferret rabbit guinea pig

Browse all official Collins dictionaries

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