accidently
adverb
ac·ci·dent·ly
ˌak-sə-ˈdent-lē 
ˈak-sə-dənt-,
ˈak-sə-ˌdent-
: accidentally
Law enforcement officials said that an unattended candle accidently lit her living room couch on fire.—
Paul Chi
Paul ChiHe was turning out of the gateway when he accidently stumbled against a tall man wrapped in a cloak, who was at that moment coming out of the inn door.—Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Usage of Accidently
The adverb accidently has been in use since the 18th century. It continues to appear regularly in published writing, but it is far less common than accidentally, and it is sometimes cited as an error.
Examples of accidently in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chelsea was accidently killed by a stray bullet when security guards were shooting at Rick.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
And farmers working adjacent lands, who used the contaminated water to clean their animals, accidently killed dozens of pigs.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Nov. 2014
Pointing a gun inevitably means firing a shot, and Ellie fires in self-defense, accidently killing both with one bullet.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Officer's leg injured in accidental firing in Little River
A North Myrtle Beach Police Officer's leg was injured Sunday evening after accidently discharging their weapon while responding to a separate call in the Little River area.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for accidently
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David Wysong, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
And farmers working adjacent lands, who used the contaminated water to clean their animals, accidently killed dozens of pigs.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Nov. 2014
Pointing a gun inevitably means firing a shot, and Ellie fires in self-defense, accidently killing both with one bullet.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Officer's leg injured in accidental firing in Little River
A North Myrtle Beach Police Officer's leg was injured Sunday evening after accidently discharging their weapon while responding to a separate call in the Little River area.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for accidently
Cite this Entry
“Accidently.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accidently. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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