incidental

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ci·​den·​tal ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl 

1

a

: being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence

social obligations incidental to the job

b

: minor sense 1

2

: occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation

incidental

2 of 2

noun

1

incidentals plural : minor items (as of expense) that are not particularized

2

: something that is incidental

Did you know?

Incidental vs. Accidental

One sense of incidental is defined as "occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation ," and one of the most common meanings of accidental in modern use is "occurring unexpectedly or by chance," so it is not surprising that the two words are sometimes confused. However, in almost all settings in which they will be found today, these words have distinct meanings. Incidental is most often used in the sense "being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence," or "minor" (as in "there were some incidental expenses that I paid myself").

Synonyms

Adjective

• accidental
• casual
• chance
• fluky
• flukey
• fortuitous
• inadvertent
• unintended
• unintentional
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unwitting

Examples of incidental in a Sentence

Adjective

You may incur some incidental expenses on the trip.

an incidental part of the job

He writes incidental music for plays.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Rintaro’s homer for the Trenton Thunder in the so-far obscure MLB Draft League is incidental compared to his long-term plans. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024

Both created art that was non- judgemental and packed with incidental detail. —The Week Uk, theweek, 14 June 2024

Noun

Interface and incidentals The PS5 menu features a lot of welcome user interface touches that really help the overall experience of using the system. —Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 30 May 2024

We’ve been joined by a number of other philanthropists in covering the costs of lodging, transportation, household expenses, communications costs, and other incidentals for these key investigators in their outposts. —Howard Milstein, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing incidental

• incidental music

Kids Definition

incidental

1 of 2 adjective

in·​ci·​den·​tal ˌin(t)-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl 

1

: happening by chance

2

: of minor importance

incidental

2 of 2 noun

: something that is incidental

Legal Definition

incidental

adjective

in·​ci·​den·​tal ˌin-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl 

1

: subordinate or secondary in importance or position

incidental benefits

2

: incident

3

: occurring by chance or in isolation

incidental use of a person's image

incidentally adverb