1
as in accidental
happening by chance
an incidental meeting of two ships in the middle of the Atlantic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
as in nonessential
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of incidental
Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 June 2026
Stops in Denver and Columbus are not incidental.
—Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
As any Spinal Tap fan can attest, the choice of location for the band's swan song is far from incidental.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidental
Adjective
This is a story about audience-first independent filmmaking, and the platforms are incidental.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 June 2026
Stops in Denver and Columbus are not incidental.
—Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
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
As any Spinal Tap fan can attest, the choice of location for the band's swan song is far from incidental.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidental
Adjective
-
The New York Times later confirmed that reporting through more anonymous US officials, including one official who said US military investigators were still evaluating whether the Iranian drone strike on the helicopter was intentional or accidental.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
10 June 2026
-
The search warrant obtained by ABC News shows that federal agents were instructed to look for anything that would indicate violations of a law to prevent the accidental release of extremely hazardous substances into the air.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The postmortem highlighted nearly two dozen laws that the city attorney’s office identified as affecting Meridian city business, some requiring minor tweaks to standard practices and others necessitating city-code overhauls.—
Rose Evans
June 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 June 2026
-
His identity is not being made public after Roach issued an order on Friday barring public identification of any minor witnesses.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
The national initiative is awarding more than $10 million to help small businesses grow, innovate, and strengthen their local communities, a spokesperson from the grant program said.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Supporting small businesses also played a major role in her strategy.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps because so many important things are missing from the book, there is a lot of filler, even though the book isn’t long (two hundred and sixty-six pages, generously spaced).—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
-
Use these container garden recipes for an overflowing look that proves the cascading plants can be just as striking as the thriller and filler elements.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Emergency reserves have little oil to spare and fuel stockpiles are facing critical lows as peak summer demand months approach.—
Devika Krishna Kumar,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
As a subsidiary of the global corporation, 7-Eleven Japan stands out from its counterpart in other countries for its higher-quality food and higher standards of cleanliness.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
10 June 2026
-
Atrium is a subsidiary of Advocate.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The 37 mm case, integrated bracelet, and dial are crafted in 18-karat gold, with the eight white-gold screws on the bezel providing only the slightest bit of contrast.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
-
Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidental. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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