incidentally
Americanadverb
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apart or aside from the main subject of attention, discussion, etc.; by the way; parenthetically.
Incidentally, while you were waiting for the officer to run your registration through the system, did you notice if the post office was open?
-
in the course of something else, and not intentionally.
The bone fractures were discovered only incidentally, during an unrelated CT scan of her chest.
adverb
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as a subordinate or chance occurrence
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(sentence modifier) by the way
Etymology
Origin of incidentally
First recorded in 1655–65; incidental + -ly
Explanation
Incidentally is a word you use when you've got more to say on a topic or want to transition into a new subject. Think of the word incidentally as a more formal way to say "by the way." Incidentally can also mean "by chance" if you want to remark on a coincidence. Sometimes, things just happen by chance, like you and your friend showing up at the same place incidentally. Incidentally, the word ends in lly so don't forget to throw that extra l in there!
Vocabulary lists containing incidentally
The Outsiders
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Incidentally, "royal" appears just once in the press releases - in the name of the Melbourne children's hospital the Sussexes' visited at the start of the tour.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Incidentally, these conventional calculations — that retirement portfolios need to last “30 years” with “minimal chance of failure” — are themselves questionable for two other reasons.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025
Incidentally, the scale of the backlash from Labour MPs to Burnham's interviews was quite the thing to witness.
From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025
Incidentally, it also helped that the irrepressible Puka Nacua caught 10 passes for 130 yards.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025
Incidentally, my dad is a very good husband.
From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
