Definition of incidence
1a : rate of occurrence or influence
a high incidence of crime
b : an act or the fact or manner of falling upon or affecting : occurrence
2a : angle of incidence
b : the arrival of something (such as a projectile or a ray of light) at a surface
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Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
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Time Traveler for incidence
The first known use of incidence was in 1626
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