incidental

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪnsəˈdɛntəl/ UK /ˌɪnsɪˈdɛntl/ See IPA manual

adj noun

Meanings

1

adj
occurring as a minor accompaniment to something more important

The expense was merely incidental to the main project budget.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · occurring as a minor... minor secondary subsidiary peripheral accompanying accidental subordinate

Opposites

essential central principal fundamental

Word family

Derived forms incidentallyincidentalness

Related forms incident incidence coincidental

Etymology

From Medieval Latin incidentalis, from Latin incidens ('falling upon, happening'), present participle of incidere ('to fall upon, happen'), from in- ('on') + cadere ('to fall').

incidere Latin cadere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# incidental

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** ˌɪnsəˈdɛntəl
**IPA (UK):** ˌɪnsɪˈdɛntl

## Meanings
1. occurring as a minor accompaniment to something more important

## Examples
- The expense was merely incidental to the main project budget.

## Synonyms
- minor
- secondary
- subsidiary
- peripheral
- accompanying
- accidental
- subordinate

## Antonyms
- essential
- central
- principal
- fundamental

## Derived Forms
- incidentally
- incidentalness

## Related Forms
- incident
- incidence
- coincidental

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: incidere
- Root: cadere

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin incidentalis, from Latin incidens ('falling upon, happening'), present participle of incidere ('to fall upon, happen'), from in- ('on') + cadere ('to fall').

## AI Etymology
Incidental comes from Medieval Latin incidentalis, from Latin incidens ('falling upon, happening'), present participle of incidere ('to fall upon, happen'), from in- ('on') + cadere ('to fall'). The historical trail runs through Latin incidere and Latin cadere. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means occurring as a minor accompaniment to something more important. Derived formations include incidentally, incidentalness; related forms include incident, incidence, coincidental.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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incidental

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