Accidental and occidental are two words that are close in spelling and pronunciation, but have very different meanings. We will examine the definitions of the words accidental and occidental, where they came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Accidental describes something that does not happen on purpose, something that is unexpected or something that occurs by chance. Something that is accidental is hard to predict. Accidental death and dismemberment insurance covers instances in which the policy holder dies by a random act or accident, such as being hit by a vehicle or falling off a cliff. Such insurance policies have a limited scope in which they will pay a benefit, however the insurance premium one must pay is usually low. Death by disease, suicide or murder is not generally covered by an accidental death and dismemberment policy. Accidental usually has a negative connotation, as it describes surprising circumstances in which one is injured in some way. However, some surprises are good surprises, and an accidental meeting or accidental scientific finding may yield great rewards. For instance, the discovery of penicillin occurred when a scientist accidentally allowed a petri dish of bacteria to become contaminated with mold. This mold killed the bacteria, and modern antibiotics were discovered. The word accidental is derived from the Latin word accidentem, which means accident or by chance. Accidental is an adjective, related words are accident, accidents, accidentally.
Occidental describes the countries of the West, including Europe and North and South America. Occidental is a dated way to describe these political and geographic areas, just as oriental is a dated term used to describe Asian countries. The word occidental is mostly seen in proper names. Occidental College is a prestigious institution in California that was established over 125 years ago. Occidental Petroleum is a gas and oil company founded by Armand Hammer in the 1920s, and is on the Fortune 500. Occidental Life Insurance Company, now Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company, was founded at the turn of the twentieth century. Various hotels are named The Occidental. The word occidental is derived from the Latin word occidentalis, meaning western. Occidental is an adjective, the noun form is the Occident. While the word oriental is considered somewhat offensive, the term occidental is not particularly offensive. However, most people will not understand the definition of the word occidental, and it is best not to use this outdated term.
Examples
And I would like to add that many of them now, when they arrive here in the occidental countries, such as Australia or Europe, or the United States, or Canada, they found that the faith is not so strong. (The Catholic Outlook)
So they are not spectacular, but they could, you know, decrease very well the epidemic, to the level they are in occidental countries, western countries. (The Mail & Guardian)
Two candidates vying for a seat at the House of Representatives were the early bird filers of their certificates of candidacy (COCs) before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental on Thursday. (The Inquirer)
Occidental College’s gay former athletic director is suing the university, alleging she was fired this summer in retaliation for complaining to the school’s president that she was the victim of gender and sexual orientation discrimination. (The Los Angeles Daily News)
Chief Justice Nathan Hecht issued a majority opinion on Friday that sided with San Patricio County and directed the Nueces County Appraisal District to stop issuing tax assessments to the terminal and other facilities previously owned by Occidental Petroleum Corp. (The San Antonio Business Journal)