Etymology

accidently

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Today it means: Accidentally; by chance, unintentionally. Full definition →

First used 15th c.Middle English accidently
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The story

  1. Middle English · inherited fromaccidently
  2. English todayaccidently

From Middle English accidently, accidentli (“by chance; temporarily; artificially”), equivalent to accident + -ly.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 15th c. Accidentally; by chance, unintentionally.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.