incident 1 of 2

incident

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How is the word incident distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of incident are circumstance, episode, event, and occurrence. While all these words mean "something that happens or takes place," incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance.

a minor wartime incident

When would circumstance be a good substitute for incident?

In some situations, the words circumstance and incident are roughly equivalent. However, circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background.

couldn't recall the exact circumstances

When can episode be used instead of incident?

The words episode and incident can be used in similar contexts, but episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident.

a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work

In what contexts can event take the place of incident?

While the synonyms event and incident are close in meaning, event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause.

the events following the assassination

When might occurrence be a better fit than incident?

While in some cases nearly identical to incident, occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan.

an encounter that was a chance occurrence

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 incident
Noun
Western also halved its payout in 2020, but unlike PAA, WES’s cut was an isolated incident. Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 The incident was captured on video and later shared on her Instagram grid. Angel Saunders, People.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
At Black Hat, the researchers argued that this strategy should also be applied to cyber-incident investigations. Kim Key, PCMAG, 11 Aug. 2022 The timing will be miserably co-incident, a rare moment in economic history, the economist’s equivalent of a solar eclipse: higher inflation, higher interest rates, slumping economic output. Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 July 2022 See All Example Sentences for incident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incident
Noun
  • Upward of half a million people now typically pack the long-weekend race events in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas, three of 24 such races held around the world.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 26 June 2025
  • The guest list for the three-day event has been tightly guarded, but the lDonald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump and her family are already in Venice.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • He may also have been inspired by the spirited instrumental and vocal accompaniment on most of his encores from Larkin Poe — sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, who are 26 and 25, respectively.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
  • Great Travel Drink Accessories and Portable Coolers At the end of a long drive, a chilled wine is a perfect accompaniment to a picnic lunch or barbecue dinner, and the Decoy Featherweight Chardonnay keeps it light.
    Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • The company debuted WhatsApp’s Updates tab in June 2023 along with an accompanying Channels feature that allows people and organizations to send broadcast messages and updates to their followers as opposed to personal conversations.
    Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 16 June 2025
  • The slick accompanying performance video was directed by Zev York in collaboration with Nick DeMoura, who was the choreographer and creative director for JB’s 2023 Believe world tour.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Miranda is so full of possibility and adventure and what’s going to come next, and Ada is trying so hard to be that way and to fill the deep well of her sadness and her loneliness and her bereavement with things like the Temperance movement.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 23 June 2025
  • There are big notes of sweet fruit, caramelized brown sugar, black pepper, rum raisin, and cinnamon leading things off over a faint wisp of smoldering campfire which lies just underneath.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • The attendant publicity lifted the album no higher than No. 15.
    Chris Morris, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • Designed to coincide with Pride Month and the 80th anniversary of these odd Finnish mammals(?), the exhibit and its attendant public programming probably represent the largest gathering of Moomins to ever occur stateside.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • The civil suit is not just about the circumstances that led to O’Keefe’s death.
    Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 21 June 2025
  • Sometimes, those decisions are made for you by circumstances that are outside your control.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Based on a true story and a hit podcast, Smoke premieres the first two episodes on Friday, June 27, 2025, followed by one episode weekly every Friday through Friday, August 15, 2025.
    Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Hey, maybe that feeling of nostalgia in this episode wasn’t just about the shoes, but also about getting some good storylines that really focus on female friendship dynamics again.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • The decline of men and concomitant rise of women in Democratic voting ranks has been observed for decades and is not expected to change drastically soon.
    Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
  • The law of diminishing returns can be applied to this process, whereby each marginal risk prevention effort does not reap concomitant rewards.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Incident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incident. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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