Incidental: meaning, definitions and examples

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incidental

 

[ ˌɪn.sɪˈden.təl ]

Adjective / Noun
Context #1 | Adjective

in daily life

occurring by chance or as a minor consequence; minor or casual

Synonyms

accidental, casual, minor, secondary.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
incidental

Used when something occurs as a minor consequence or accompaniment of something else. It's often found in professional or technical contexts.

  • His connection to the project was purely incidental.
  • Incidental expenses will be covered by the company.
accidental

Best used when something happens by chance or mistake, without being planned. Often comes with a sense of unexpectedness.

  • It was an accidental discovery.
  • She caused an accidental fire while cooking.
secondary

Use this word to describe something that is not the primary focus but still important. It often comes in the context of prioritization or sequence.

  • The secondary goal of the project is to improve team cohesion.
  • Her health is their primary concern, everything else is secondary.
minor

Use this word to describe something that is of lesser importance or smaller in scale. Often seen in comparison with something major.

  • The patient had a minor injury.
  • There were some minor changes to the schedule.
casual

This word works well in contexts where something is informal or occasional. It can describe events, clothing, or relationships.

  • They had a casual meeting at the café.
  • He prefers to wear casual clothes.

Examples of usage

  • The damage to the car was merely incidental to the main issue.
  • The noise from the construction site was just an incidental inconvenience for the residents.
Context #2 | Noun

legal

an item that is incidental

Synonyms

accessory, additional, adjunct.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
incidental

Used when something happens by chance and is not the main focus or purpose.

  • Finding the café was incidental to our walk
  • The cost of the meal was incidental compared to the travel expenses
adjunct

Often used in academic or professional settings to describe something added to another thing but not essential to it.

  • The adjunct professor will teach the new course
  • The new software is an adjunct to our main system
accessory

Refers to something that is not essential but adds to the main item, often related to fashion or tools.

  • The handbag is a stylish accessory to her outfit
  • He bought some accessories for his new smartphone
additional

Indicates something extra or more than what was originally considered or planned.

  • We need additional chairs for the meeting
  • She asked for additional help with the project

Examples of usage

  • The contract includes all incidentals such as shipping costs and taxes.

Translations

Translations of the word "incidental" in other languages:

🇵🇹 incidental

🇮🇳 आकस्मिक

🇩🇪 zufällig

🇮🇩 insidental

🇺🇦 випадковий

🇵🇱 przypadkowy

🇯🇵 偶然の

🇫🇷 incidental

🇪🇸 incidental

🇹🇷 tesadüfi

🇰🇷 우연한

🇸🇦 عرضي

🇨🇿 náhodný

🇸🇰 náhodný

🇨🇳 附带的

🇸🇮 naključen

🇮🇸 tilfallandi

🇰🇿 кездейсоқ

🇬🇪 შემთხვევითი

🇦🇿 təsadüfi

🇲🇽 incidental

Etymology

The word 'incidental' originated in the early 17th century from the Latin word 'incidentalis', which means 'falling upon'. Over time, it has evolved to be used in various contexts to describe something that is secondary, minor, or happening by chance.

See also: incidence, incident, incidentally, incidents.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,278 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.