adventitious — Arising or occurring occasionally or by chance, especially from an external source rather than being inherent
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: Arising or occurring occasionally or by chance, especially from an external source rather than being inherent
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌædvenˈtɪʃəs/
Example Sentences
- His adventitious knowledge of medieval pottery came entirely from binge-watching documentaries at 3 AM.
- Adventitious roots allow the ivy to cling to the wall without needing soil.
- The committee ruled that the adventitious evidence was irrelevant to the civil service examination case.
adventitious
ADJECTIVE[/ˌædvenˈtɪʃəs/]
Arising or occurring occasionally or by chance, especially from an external source rather than being inherent
The hikers made an adventitious discovery of ancient cave paintings during their lunch break.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin adventicius, which comes from advenire (to arrive, come to). The word originally meant 'something that comes from outside by chance,' and evolved to its modern sense of 'accidental, incidental, or non-essential.'
Breakdown
ad- (to, toward) + ven- (come) + -icius (Latin adjectival suffix). The root venire means 'to come,' and the prefix ad- indicates direction, with -icius forming an adjective denoting origin or quality.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His adventitious knowledge of medieval pottery came entirely from binge-watching documentaries at 3 AM.”
“Adventitious roots allow the ivy to cling to the wall without needing soil.”
“The committee ruled that the adventitious evidence was irrelevant to the civil service examination case.”
“My sudden, adventitious ability to speak fluent French only appears after three glasses of wine.”
📚Related Words
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