noun

accident

accident, mishap, chance

He had a car accident last year.

He had a car accident last year.

Our meeting was a happy accident.

Our meeting was a happy accident.

((an/the)) accident ((...)) an unfortunate incident He had a car accident.

by accident unintentionally I broke it by accident.

Synonyms: mishap, incident, chance; Antonyms: intention, plan, design

From Latin 'accidere' (to happen), from 'ad-' (to) + 'cadere' (to fall). It literally means something that 'falls upon' you.

Think of a car getting a 'dent' in an 'accident'. The 'ci' sounds like 'see' – you often 'see' an accident happen.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.