noun
accident; accidental quality
Technical term in philosophy and logic, referring to a property that a thing may have or lack without affecting its essence. Contrasts with 本質 (essence).
アリストテレスは、本質と偶有性を区別した。
Aristotle distinguished between essence and accident.
色や形は、その物の偶有性に過ぎない。
Color and shape are merely accidental qualities of the object.
属性 is a broader term for attribute or property, not necessarily contrasting with essence.
Compound of 偶 (accidental, by chance) + 有 (possess, exist) + 性 (-ness, property). A modern philosophical coinage translating Western concepts of 'accident' or 'accidental quality'.