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

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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
The blue-collar aesthetic of our city, after all, is really just incidental to our blue-collar ethic. — Will Kamin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 The atmosphere isn’t incidental to the tournament’s identity. — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 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
  • The distraction and the absence of warning signals also led to the boy’s accidental death.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Her reference to that particular city doesn’t seem accidental.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of accidental
Adjective
  • The drawbacks of the home are more minor inconveniences than major considerations.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Stotko was struck by an e-moto being operated by a minor two years ago.
    — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 29 Sep. 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
  • Only about a dozen countries have active programs, including small Caribbean island states.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The treasurer’s office says the administrative cost of processing very small payments can exceed their value.
    — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • For medi-spa devotees, dermal fillers and skin-tightening treatments are available, too.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Swapping the polyurethane for another filler would tailor the same basic architecture for energy absorption, vibration damping, thermal management, or other applications.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of filler
Adjective
  • But little progress has been made towards implementing a deal to end the conflict, which includes terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Salem witch trials of 1692 carved out an enduring and powerful niche in American history for this little town, and this intimate, kitschy museum does an excellent job telling the story.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of little
Noun
  • Charles’ son Chase also runs Koch Disruptive Technologies, a venture capital subsidiary.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Motorists drive past an ADNOC Gas a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company facility in Abu Dhabi on March 3, 2026.
    — Joanna Ossinger, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of subsidiary
Adjective
  • In the for-pay security suite, the VPN gets a slight bandwidth boost, doubling the free limit to 1 gigabyte per month.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The tadpoles — some descended from frogs in the San Jacinto Mountains and others from the San Bernardino Mountains — were separated into two groups because of their slight genetic differences.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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