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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Recent Examples of incidence
This lack is partly due to the low incidence of mass and school shootings.
—
Emily Greene-Colozzi, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
One case report highlighted an incidence of hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) in a person taking cinnamon supplements for one week alongside their statin.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 8 Dec. 2025
Early preventive screening has dramatically reduced the incidence of cervical cancer cases by more than half from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, according to the American Cancer Society.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Dec. 2025
California’s annual incidence of wild mushroom poisonings regularly climbs into the hundreds, according to the state poison control system.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidence
Emily Greene-Colozzi, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
One case report highlighted an incidence of hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) in a person taking cinnamon supplements for one week alongside their statin.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 8 Dec. 2025
Early preventive screening has dramatically reduced the incidence of cervical cancer cases by more than half from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s, according to the American Cancer Society.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Dec. 2025
California’s annual incidence of wild mushroom poisonings regularly climbs into the hundreds, according to the state poison control system.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidence
Noun
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And firefighters themselves can help address the prevalence of cancer by participating in research and prevention efforts.—
Victor Stagnaro,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2026
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Analyzing wastewater for infectious diseases, whether at the state and local level or through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Wastewater Surveillance System, can help paint a clearer picture of the prevalence of flu, measles, or Covid-19 in a community.—
Deborah L. Birx,
STAT,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Although the study shows that the occurrence of giant planets declines as stars age, the few planets that remain in close orbits around red giants offer valuable insights.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Some of the adverse events reported in the trial were gastrointestinal disorders and certain infections, but the occurrence of these events was similar across both groups.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Reconcept uses music paired with specific frequencies tailored to different physical and mental needs.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Drink less often overall, as health risks increase with alcohol frequency, not just quantity.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidence. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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