adventitious

comparative more adventitious · superlative most adventitious · alternative archaic adventicious

1. From an external source; not innate or inherent, foreign.

   Synonyms: extrinsic, exogenous

2. Accidental, additional, appearing casually.

   In a triad of verbs that admits nothing adventitious, Judah sees, takes, and lies with a woman; […]

   1981, Robert Alter, “A Literary Approach to the Bible”, in The Art of Biblical Narrative, page 6

   2 more examples

   The discovery of the art of making pottery was probably in all cases adventitious, the clay being first used for some other purpose.

   1895, Alfred C. Haddon, Evolution in Art, pages 101–102

   The adventitious disappearance of those nearer the throne than the duke had, moreover, set tongues awagging.

   2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 30

   Synonyms: accidental, spontaneous, sporadic, incidental, coincidental, fortuitous, serendipitous, accidental

3. biologyNot congenital; acquired.

   Synonyms: acquired

4. biologyDeveloping in an unusual place or from an unusual source.

   The Velloziaceae have evolved a woody stem which is covered with a layer of adventitious roots mingled with the fibres of the old leaf sheaths;

   1985, R. M. T. Dahlgren, H. T. Clifford, P. F. Yeo, The Families of the Monocotyledons, page 101