incidental 1 of 2

adjective

ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce incidental (audio)
Definition of incidentalnext
1
as in accidental
happening by chance an incidental meeting of two ships in the middle of the Atlantic

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
lacking importance we still have to work out a few incidental details, but the proposal is largely complete

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

incidental

2 of 2

noun

as in nonessential

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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 incidental
Adjective
When a building is purchased at a price that only makes sense if rents rise quickly, rent hikes stop being incidental. — Anisha Steephen, Time, 21 July 2026 Messi’s incidental presence became melancholy rather than mystical. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Noun
And that’s on top of costly airfare, lodging, match tickets, and other incidentals required to attend the games. — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026 Officials ruled the hit incidental, though Olszewski left the game and didn’t return with a head injury. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for incidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidental
  1. accidental
  2. minor
  3. nonessential
  4. small
  5. filler
  6. little
  7. subsidiary
  8. slight
Adjective
  • Researchers think that most bites are accidental; great white sharks mistake people for seals or sea lions.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Lioness actress Laysla De Oliveira has become somewhat of an accidental action star.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of accidental
Adjective
  • Advertising, a minor revenue stream before 2024, is expected to grow to around 15% of revenue by 2028.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The plane sustained minor damage but landed safely at Hannover Airport instead.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of minor
Noun
  • Anything deemed nonessential would be put on hold, so Americans could experience delays with certain services and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will go without pay.
    — Caitlyn Kim, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
Definition of nonessential
Adjective
  • They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • The songs that earned BTS Grammys recognition in the past were smooth disco-pop tracks with filler lyrics and far less creative involvement from each member than their earlier releases.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2026
  • Armed with various putties, fillers, waxes, and bundles of human hair, their goal was to produce a visage worthy of an open casket.
    — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of filler
Adjective
  • Orlando’s best chance of the first half came in the 31st minute when Simone Jackson hit the crossbar, but the Pride managed little else going forward and went into the break trailing.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • An apologetic statement this week and commitment to not letting history repeat itself has, though, done little to placate the intensifying scrutiny of his leadership.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of little
Noun
  • Zynga had been a subsidiary the whole time, without the paperwork.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor Farms is one of the nation’s biggest vegetable producers, and its Mexican subsidiaries are the source of more shipments of vegetable and salad products into the US than any other single manufacturer in the world, FDA import data shows.
    — Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of subsidiary
Adjective
  • The righty, working with a slight pitch count after a complete game last week, followed two strikeouts in the first inning with five more in his outing.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Morgan walked into the opening match for SummerSlam Saturday as a slight favorite per Betonline.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of slight

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Cite this Entry

“Incidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidental. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incidental

Nglish: Translation of incidental for Spanish Speakers

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