Example: I found the book by accident in the old library.
Definition
"By accident" means something happening unintentionally or without planning. It describes events or actions that occur unexpectedly, often without deliberate effort or intention, as in the example: I found the book by accident in the old library.
The phrase "by accident" originates from the Middle English use of "accident," derived from the Latin "accidens," meaning an unforeseen event. "By accident" evolved to indicate that something happened unintentionally or unexpectedly, often contrasting with planned or deliberate actions.
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"By accident" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (A2) - set 1", containing 104 commonly used expressions.
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