Adverb

(en adverb)

In an accidental manner; unexpectedly; by chance; casually; fortuitously.

He discovered penicillin largely accidentally .

Unintentionally.

He accidentally exposed the bacteria to mold spores.

* {{quote-news, year=2011

, date=December 14 , author=Steven Morris , title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=Robins, of Torquay, had denied a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She claimed the microwave was accidentally turned on by one of the cats after the kitten got inside. But Knutton said the kitten was too small to even get onto the work surface.}}

Adverb

(en adverb)

by accident, unexpectedly, by chance; fortuitously, unintentionally.

:* {{quote-book

, year=1980 , year_published= , edition= , editor= , author=Phillip James Edwin Peebles , title=The Large-Scale Structure of the Universe , chapter= citation , genre=Astrophysics , publisher=Princeton University Press , isbn=9780691082400 , page=151 , passage= … which arises from four galaxies at four quite different distances that accidently' appear close together in the sky. The second line represents two galaxies close together in space and the other two '''accidently''' close in projection, the third line close triplets plus a fourth '''accidently''' close in projection, the fourth line two close pairs ' accidently seen close together in projection. }}

:* {{quote-book

, year=1995 , year_published= , edition=2, reprint, revised , editor= , author= , title=Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=Merriam-Webster , isbn=9780877791324 , page=16 , passage=The spelling accidently'' is not an illiteracy, but it is much less frequent than ''accidentally , and even though it has some reputable use, it may be thought a misspelling. }}

:* {{quote-book

, year=1998 , year_published=2009 , edition=digitized , editor= , author=Kenneth G. Wilson , title=Columbia Guide to Standard American English , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=MJF Books , isbn=9781567312676 , page=8 , passage=Indeed, many conservative people consider accidently a misspelling, and some conservative dictionaries do not even record it as a variant, though it has been accepted off and on for many years. }}

:* {{quote-book

, year=2011 , year_published= , edition=2, revised , editor= , author=Robert W. Shumaker, Kristina R. Walkup, Benjamin B. Beck, Gordon M. Burghardt , title=Animal Tool Behavior , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=JHU Press , isbn=9780801898532 , page=92 , passage= … relayed similar cases but suspected that the rocks were accidently' dislodged as the animals fled. ... Hall (1963) considered the same data and concluded that while such behavior might originate ' accidently during flight or display, ... }}

:* {{quote-book

, year=2012 , year_published= , edition= , editor= , author=Patrick R. Delaney PhD, CPA; O. Ray Whittington , title=Wiley CPA Exam Review 2012, Regulations , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher= , isbn= , page=334 , passage=Juan accidently spills some coffee on a client during a business meeting. Juan's tort is clearly in the scope of employment. }}