incidental

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ci·​den·​tal ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl 

1

a

: being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence

social obligations incidental to the job

b

: minor sense 1

2

: occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation

incidental

2 of 2

noun

1

incidentals plural : minor items (as of expense) that are not particularized

2

: something that is incidental

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Incidental vs. Accidental

One sense of incidental is defined as "occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation ," and one of the most common meanings of accidental in modern use is "occurring unexpectedly or by chance," so it is not surprising that the two words are sometimes confused. However, in almost all settings in which they will be found today, these words have distinct meanings. Incidental is most often used in the sense "being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence," or "minor" (as in "there were some incidental expenses that I paid myself").

Synonyms

Adjective

• accidental
• casual
• chance
• fluky
• flukey
• fortuitous
• inadvertent
• unintended
• unintentional
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unwitting

Examples of incidental in a Sentence

Adjective

You may incur some incidental expenses on the trip.

an incidental part of the job

He writes incidental music for plays.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Such messiness comes across as incidental to the magic-of-the-movies hooey that suffuses The Big Cigar. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024

The house’s beauty — its warmth, its naked vulnerability — is both incidental and natural, a response to the singular mountain territory from which much of Ecuador’s most provocative new architecture rises. —Michael Snyder Ana Topoleanu, New York Times, 10 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing incidental

• incidental music

Kids Definition

incidental

1 of 2 adjective

in·​ci·​den·​tal ˌin(t)-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl 

1

: happening by chance

2

: of minor importance

incidental

2 of 2 noun

: something that is incidental

Legal Definition

incidental

adjective

in·​ci·​den·​tal ˌin-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl 

1

: subordinate or secondary in importance or position

incidental benefits

2

: incident

3

: occurring by chance or in isolation

incidental use of a person's image

incidentally adverb