by accident
Not on purpose
By accident means without intention or planning, through chance or mishap rather than design.
Something that happens by accident wasn't meant to happen: I deleted the file by accident, We met by accident at the grocery store.
The phrase often implies fault or error, but can simply mean coincidentally.
- unintentionallyWithout deliberate intent
- mistakenlyIn an incorrect manner
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
- flukeChance stroke of luck
pure luck · unwittingly · fortuitous · serendipity · chance encounter · random · stumbled upon · windfall · surprise · lucky · mishap · fate · trip · bumped · slip · clumsy · spill · collision
- unintentionallyunintentionally, inadvertently, unwittingly, unknowingly, unconsciously
by accidenton purpose
Done with deliberate intent
deliberately · intentionally · by design · purposely · knowingly
by accidentby design
Done with intent
according to plan · as expected · systematically · methodically · on schedule
accident, accidental, accidentally, unintended, unintentional, incidental, inadvertent, coincidental, by chance