INCIDENTAL

attendant, consequent, accompanying, concomitant, incidental, ensuant, resultant, sequent, collateral

(adjective) occurring with or following as a consequence; “an excessive growth of bureaucracy, with attendant problems”; “snags incidental to the changeover in management”; “attendant circumstances”; “the period of tension and consequent need for military preparedness”; “the ensuant response to his appeal”; “the resultant savings were considerable”; “collateral target damage from a bombing run”

incidental, nonessential, accidental

(adjective) not of prime or central importance; “nonessential to the integral meanings of poetry”- Pubs.MLA; “the character’s motives remain accidental to the plot”

incidental, incident

(adjective) (sometimes followed by ‘to’) minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence; “incidental expenses”; “the road will bring other incidental advantages”; “extra duties incidental to the job”; “labor problems incidental to a rapid expansion”; “confusion incidental to a quick change”

incidental

(noun) an item that is incidental

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

incidental (comparative more incidental, superlative most incidental)

Loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence.

Occurring by chance

(physics, of radiation) Entering or approaching, prior to reflection (more frequently incident).

Synonyms

• (existing as an accident): accidental, contingent; See also circumstantial

• (occurring by chance): accidental, serendipitous; See also accidental

Antonyms

• (existing as an accident): inevitable, necessary, impossible; See also inevitable

• (occurring by chance): inevitable, intentional; See also intentional

Noun

incidental (plural incidentals)

Minor items, not further defined. Incidental expense.

Something that is incidental.

Anagrams

• anticlined

Source: Wiktionary


In`ci*den"tal, a.

Definition: Happening, as an occasional event, without regularity; coming without design; casual; accidental; hence, not of prime concern; subordinate; collateral; as, an incidental conversation; an incidental occurrence; incidental expenses. By some, religious duties . . . appear to be regarded . . . as an incidental business. Rogers.

Syn.

– Accidental; casual; fortuitous; contingent; chance; collateral. See Accidental.

– In`cen*den"tal*ly, adv.

– In`cen*den"tal*ness, n. I treat either or incidentally of colors. Boyle.

In`ci*den"tal, n.

Definition: An incident; that which is incidental; esp., in the plural, an aggregate of subordinate or incidental items not particularized; as, the expense of tuition and incidentals. Pope.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

22 February 2025

ANALYSIS

(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’


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Coffee Trivia

Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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