incidentally

adverb

in·​ci·​den·​tal·​ly ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce incidentally (audio)
 especially for sense 2  -ˈdent-lē
1
: in an incidental manner : not intentionally
the arrant nonsense of some of his statements is incidentally hilariousJohn Lahr
2
: by way of interjection or digression : by the way
fortunate in having a good teacher … —still living, incidentallyJohn Fischer

Examples of incidentally in a Sentence

Not incidentally, the market slump was followed by widespread layoffs. incidentally, have you seen the new building they're putting up?
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Ward, incidentally, was thrilled that the Titans signed his former UM teammate, receiver Xavier Restrepo, as an undrafted free agent. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025 Not just incidentally, for years on end ServiceNow has achieved growth rates nothing short of spectacular — among the best in all of enterprise software — by satisfying enterprises’ needs in these areas. Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025 So that can never go anywhere, but their love grows incidentally around it. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025 The exception to this, obviously and imperfectly, is China, which, incidentally, will be adversely affected by certain aspects of the U.K. deal. The Editors, National Review, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for incidentally

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incidentally was in 1665

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incidentally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incidentally. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

incidentally

adverb
in·​ci·​den·​tal·​ly ˌin(t)-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce incidentally (audio)
 especially for sense 2  -ˈdent-lē
1
: in an incidental manner
discusses the problem only incidentally
2
: apart from that : by the way
a one-room school—still standing, incidentally—which was painted red

More from Merriam-Webster on incidentally

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!