偶発

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 偶発(ぐうはつ) refers to an occurrence by chance; adding 的 gives 偶発的, which characterizes an event.
• Basic usage: It describes accidents or clashes arising incidentally rather than as planned events.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Accidental does not mean causeless
  • 小さな誤解から identifies what prompted the clash. Calling it accidental does not mean that it had no cause.
• An investigation is not a conclusion
  • 偶発的なものかどうか asks whether or not something was accidental. The sentence reporting the investigation does not settle that question.