incidentally

adverb

in·​ci·​den·​tal·​ly ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce incidentally (audio)
 especially for sense 2  -ˈdent-lē
1
: in an incidental manner : not intentionally
the arrant nonsense of some of his statements is incidentally hilariousJohn Lahr
2
: by way of interjection or digression : by the way
fortunate in having a good teacher … —still living, incidentallyJohn Fischer

Examples of incidentally in a Sentence

Not incidentally, the market slump was followed by widespread layoffs. incidentally, have you seen the new building they're putting up?
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Rich, incidentally, recently came to a performance of McNeal. Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024 The series, incidentally, coincides with the brothers’ third time seeking a habeas hearing, a first step in having their sentence reduced to time served. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Sep. 2024 The tour dates, incidentally, are sandwiched in between runs in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and continental Europe. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024 Leave a comment View Comments The beans are retrieved, washed and sanitized, then made into coffee and not, incidentally, sold at a great premium. Richard Quest, CNN, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for incidentally 

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incidentally was in 1665

Dictionary Entries Near incidentally

Cite this Entry

“Incidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incidentally. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

incidentally

adverb
in·​ci·​den·​tal·​ly ˌin(t)-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce incidentally (audio)
 especially for sense 2  -ˈdent-lē
1
: in an incidental manner
discusses the problem only incidentally
2
: apart from that : by the way
a one-room school—still standing, incidentally—which was painted red

More from Merriam-Webster on incidentally

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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