incidence

noun

Definition of incidencenext
as in prevalence
the rate at which something happens They found an increased incidence of crime in the city when social programs were cut.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incidence The scientists looked for the incidence of 46 different potential side effects in the 90 days after vaccination. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 June 2026 Health scores indicate how well a country keeps its people alive and well, like whether children are born and stay healthy, whether adults live long lives and if the incidence of preventable diseases is kept low. — Stephen Bagwell, The Conversation, 26 June 2026 Women who had taken a GLP-1 had a lower incidence of breast cancer than women who hadn’t taken the medication, even after researchers matched for age, race, ethnicity, BMI, breast density, and type 2 diabetes. — Elise M. Brett, EverydayHealth.com, 26 June 2026 Remove and destroy all infected plant material (including roots) and practice a three-year crop rotation to reduce disease incidence. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incidence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidence
  1. prevalence
  2. occurrence
  3. frequency
Noun
  • The researchers recommend testing only after clinical symptoms present themselves or if there’s a clinical history of the condition in the highest-prevalence states.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
  • When studying tech workers in research, he was struck by the prevalence of neutrals like beige and black in their wardrobes, and how that relates to the human body and embodiment.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
Definition of prevalence
Noun
  • If a Fed policymaker is found to have violated the blackout period, which is a rare occurrence in the central bank’s history, they could be asked to recuse themselves from policy decisions or face pressure to resign.
    — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • But Republican lawmakers pushing for these changes say a simple majority threshold makes amending their state constitution too easy — and thus too frequent of an occurrence.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 14 July 2026
Definition of occurrence
Noun
  • As with containers, apply a granular fertilizer once or twice per summer, or a liquid product with watering at the frequency recommended on the label.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
  • In the summer, Schrader suggests upping the cleaning frequency to weekly to account for the warm weather and sleeping with fewer layers between you and the duvet.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
Definition of frequency

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inchoative
incidence
incident
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Cite this Entry

“Incidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidence. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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