Meanings
adjectiveincidental (comparative more incidental, superlative most incidental)
comparative more incidental · superlative most incidental
- Loosely associated; of limited relevance except indirectly; only accidentally related.
incidental evidence
1 more example
That character, though colorful, is incidental to the overall plot.
- Existing tangentially, being a byproduct, a tangent, or a likely consequence.
Injuries are incidental to contact sports: they're going to happen.
Synonyms: accidental
- Occurring by chance.
Synonyms: accidental
- natural sciencesEntering or approaching, prior to reflection (more frequently incident).
nounincidental (plural incidentals)
plural incidentals
- Minor items, not further defined. Incidental expense.
She's costing us a lot in incidentals.
- Something that is incidental.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveExisting tangentially, being a byproduct, a tangent, or a likely consequence.
Similar
adjectiveOccurring by chance.
Similar
Similar
antonym(s) of
Opposite
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(sometimes followed by ‘to’) minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence
Opposite
adjectivenot of prime or central importance
adjectiveoccurring with or following as a consequence
noun(frequently plural) an expense not budgeted or not specified
Similar
incidental expenseminor expense
Broader
Also see
accidentalaccidentaryaccompanyingadventitiousaproposattendantby accidentby the bycasualcauselesscircumstantialcollateralconcomitantconsequentcontingentdesultoryensuantfortuitousincidentincidental expenseinessentialinstantialirrelevantlippeningnonessentialomissibleparentheticparentheticalperipheralresultantresultingsecondarysequentserendipitoustangentialunessentialunintendedunintentional
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Englishincident
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishincidental
Translations
Bulgarian страничен, несъществен
- страничен (straničen)loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- несъществен (nesăštestven)loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- случаен (slučaen)occurring by chance
- падащ (padašt)entering or approaching, prior to reflection
- епизод (epizod)something that is incidental
Finnish epäolennainen, satunnainen
- epäolennainenloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- satunnainenoccurring by chance
- tulevaentering or approaching, prior to reflection
- sivuseikkasomething that is incidental
- sattumasomething that is incidental
French incidental
- incidentalloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
German zugehörig, beiläufig
- zugehörigloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- beiläufigloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- anfallendloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- folgendloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- nebensächlichloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- gelegentlichloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- Neben-loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- Sonder-loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- zusammenhängend mitloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- indirektloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- Begleit-loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- begleitendloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- Nebenausgabeminor items, not further defined — see also incidental expense
- Nebensächlichkeitminor items, not further defined — see also incidental expense
- Nebenumstandminor items, not further defined — see also incidental expense
- Nebenkostenminor items, not further defined — see also incidental expense
- Unvorhergesehenessomething that is incidental
- Nebensächlichessomething that is incidental
Indonesian insidental, sewaktu-waktu
- insidentaloccurring by chance
- sewaktu-waktuoccurring by chance
Italian incidentale
- incidentaleloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
Japanese 偶然の, 偶発的な
- 偶然の (gūzen no)loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- 偶発的な (gūhatsuteki na)loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- 雑費 (zappi)minor items, not further defined — see also incidental expense
Portuguese incidental
- incidentalloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
Russian эпизоди́чный, случа́йный
- эпизоди́чный (epizodíčnyj)loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- случа́йный (slučájnyj)occurring by chance
Spanish incidental, fortuito
- incidentalloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- fortuitooccurring by chance
Turkish ilgisiz, rastlantısal
- ilgisizloosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
- rastlantısaloccurring by chance
Yiddish אַגבֿדיק
- אַגבֿדיק (agevdik)loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
incidental. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incidental
MLA
“incidental.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incidental. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “incidental,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incidental.
Source: incidental on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.