English → Latin
“accident” in Latin
cāsusa fall, downwards movement; accident, chance; an event, happening, occurrenceaccidēnsfalling down, upon, at or near, descending; happening (to), taking place, occurring, befallingfortisstrong, powerful; firm, resolute, steadfast, stout; courageous, bravecadōto fall, to fall out; to fall in battle, die, be slain, fall so as to be unable to rise; to be frustrated, fail, to be ofortuītushappening by chance, accidental, random, fortuitoustemereby chance, by accident, at random; without design, intent, or purpose; casually, fortuitously, rashly, heedlessly, thoug
The English word accident itself goes back to Latin ad, through accidēns.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
accident
accidental occurrence, casus, res fortuita. Generally to be translated by verb: it was an accident, casu factum est. By accident, forte (by chance; without particular stress on the chance): casu (by chance: opposed to consulto): fortuito, fortuitu (by mere chance: opposed to causa). (The words are found in this connection and order), casu et fortuitu or fortuito; temere (without previous reflection; implying that it would not have been done with it): forte fortuna, (by a lucky chance). To trust to the chapter of accidents, rem in casum ancipitis eventus committere (to trust anything to chance): casum potius quam consilium sequi (to trust to chance rather than counsel). It happened by accident, etc., forte evenit ut; casu accidit ut; forte ita incidit ut. To mention anything by accident, in mentionem alicujus rei incidere.
Accidents = non-essential properties, accidentia, plur. (rerum, etc., Quint., τὰ συμβεβηκότα.)
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for accident?
- The usual Latin words for “accident” are cāsus, accidēns, fortis; also cadō, fortuītus, temere. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.