incidentally
adverb
in·ci·den·tal·ly
ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl-ē 
especially for sense 2 -ˈdent-lē
1
a
: in an incidental manner : not intentionally
… the arrant nonsense of some of his statements is incidentally hilarious.—
John Lahr
John Lahr
b
: as something that is less important
mentions the issue only incidentally
2
: by way of interjection or digression : by the way
… fortunate in having a good teacher … —still living, incidentally …—John Fischer
John FischerSynonyms of incidentally
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
The fissure is on full display with those sharp lines in The Studio and Pluribus — shows, incidentally, from Apple, which more than any other company has normalized and cuddlified our current screen addiction.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Such a simple gesture can be the perfect complement to the most spectacular dress—and, incidentally, to the Cartier jewelry the actress was wearing.
—Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2026
Anderson has been wearing it curly, straight and everything in between, proving the versatility of the cut, which also, incidentally, features a fringe that can be swept to the side or worn forward.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
The new spread, not so incidentally, would account for the disappearance of Billy’s on Grand and the Victoria Crossing Mall.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidentally
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Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Such a simple gesture can be the perfect complement to the most spectacular dress—and, incidentally, to the Cartier jewelry the actress was wearing.
—Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2026
Anderson has been wearing it curly, straight and everything in between, proving the versatility of the cut, which also, incidentally, features a fringe that can be swept to the side or worn forward.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
The new spread, not so incidentally, would account for the disappearance of Billy’s on Grand and the Victoria Crossing Mall.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidentally
Cite this Entry
“Incidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incidentally. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incidentally
adverb
in·ci·den·tal·ly
ˌin(t)-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl-ē
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
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