Substance vs. Accident — What's the Difference?

That which has mass and occupies space; matter.

An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term accident implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks.

A material of a particular kind or constitution.

An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury

A drug, chemical, or other material (such as glue) that one is dependent on or uses habitually and that is often illegal or subject to government regulation

An event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause

The most important part or idea of what is said or written; the essence or gist

(in Aristotelian thought) a property of a thing which is not essential to its nature.

That which is real or practical in quality or character; practical value

An unexpected and undesirable event, especially one resulting in damage or harm

Significance or importance

An unforeseen event that is not the result of intention or has no apparent cause

Density; body

An instance of involuntary urination or defecation.

Material possessions; goods; wealth

Lack of intention; chance

Physical matter; material.

(Philosophy) An attribute of a substance that is not essential to its nature.

A form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties.

An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences, and (in the strict sense) not directly caused by humans.

The essential part of anything; the most vital part.

(legal) casus; such unforeseen, extraordinary, extraneous interference as is out of the range of ordinary calculation.

Substantiality; solidity; firmness.

(transportation) A collision or crash of a vehicle, aircraft, or other form of transportation that causes damage to the transportation involved; and sometimes injury or death to the transportation's occupants or bystanders in close proximity.

Material possessions; estate; property; resources.

Any chance event.

Drugs illegal narcotics

(uncountable) Chance; random chance.

(theology) Hypostasis.

Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential or nonsubstantive.

To give substance to; to make real or substantial.

(grammar) A property attached to a word, but not essential to it, such as gender, number, or case.

That which underlies all outward manifestations; substratum; the permanent subject or cause of phenomena, whether material or spiritual; that in which properties inhere; that which is real, in distinction from that which is apparent; the abiding part of any existence, in distinction from any accident; that which constitutes anything what it is; real or existing essence.

(euphemistic) An instance of incontinence.

The most important element in any existence; the characteristic and essential components of anything; the main part; essential import; purport.

Urine or feces excreted due to incontinence.

Body; matter; material of which a thing is made; hence, substantiality; solidity; firmness; as, the substance of which a garment is made; some textile fabrics have little substance.

(euphemistic) An unintended pregnancy.

Material possessions; estate; property; resources.

A person born from an unintended pregnancy.

Same as Hypostasis, 2.

(geology) An irregular surface feature with no apparent cause.

To furnish or endow with substance; to supply property to; to make rich.

(geology) A sudden discontinuity of ground such as fault of great thickness, bed or lentil of unstable ground.{{cite book|

That which has mass and occupies space;

(heraldry) A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.

The stuff of which an object consists

(transportation) Designating any form of transportation involved in an accident.

The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience;

Literally, a befalling; an event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation; an undesigned, sudden, and unexpected event; chance; contingency; often, an undesigned and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or unfortunate character; a casualty; a mishap; as, to die by an accident.

The idea that is intended;

A property attached to a word, but not essential to it, as gender, number, case.

Considerable capital (wealth or income);

A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.

What a communication that is about something is about

A property or quality of a thing which is not essential to it, as whiteness in paper; an attribute.

Any accidental property, fact, or relation; an accidental or nonessential; as, beauty is an accident.

Unusual appearance or effect.

A mishap; especially one causing injury or death

Anything that happens by chance without an apparent cause