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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
Examples of incidental in a Sentence
William Harwood, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2024
The few traces of pleasure to be found in Disclaimer are typically incidental to the action.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 21 Oct. 2024
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
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Cite this Entry
“Incidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incidental. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incidental
1 of 2 adjective
incidental
2 of 2 nounLegal Definition
incidental
adjective
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