incidence

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   How often something happens, especially something unwanted.

   There has been a rise in the incidence of flu this winter.

2. 2
   noun

   The way a beam of light or radiation strikes a surface.

   She measured the angle of incidence of the reflected light.

From Middle French incidence, from Medieval Latin incidentia (“a falling upon”), from Latin incidens, present participle of incidere (“to fall upon”), from in (“on”) + cadere (“to fall”).

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