incident

[in-si-duhnt]

noun

1. an individual occurrence or event.

   Synonyms: happening

2. a distinct piece of action, or an episode, as in a story or play.

3. something that occurs casually in connection with something else.

4. something appertaining or attaching to something else.

5. an occurrence of seemingly minor importance, especially involving nations or factions between which relations are strained and sensitive, that can lead to serious consequences, as an outbreak of hostilities or a war.

   border incident; international incident.

6. an embarrassing occurrence, especially of a social nature.

adjective

1. likely or apt to happen (usually followed byto ).

2. naturally appertaining.

   hardships incident to the life of an explorer.

3. conjoined or attaching, especially as subordinate to a principal thing.

4. falling or striking on something, as light rays.

incident

/ ˈɪnsɪdənt /

noun

1. a distinct or definite occurrence; event

2. a minor, subsidiary, or related event or action

3. a relatively insignificant event that might have serious consequences, esp in international politics

4. a public disturbance

   the police had reports of an incident outside a pub

5. the occurrence of something interesting or exciting

   the trip was not without incident

adjective

1. related (to) or dependent (on)

2. having a subsidiary or minor relationship (with)

3. (esp of a beam of light or particles) arriving at or striking a surface

   incident electrons

Other Word Forms

• incidentless adjective
• nonincident noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of incident¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin incident- (stem of incidēns “a happening,” noun use of present participle of Latin verb incidere “to fall upon, befall”), equivalent to Latin in- in- ² + -cid- (combining form of cad- “fall”) + -ent- -ent; cadenza

Word History and Origins

Origin of incident¹

C15: from Medieval Latin incidens an event, from Latin incidere, literally: to fall into, hence befall, happen, from _in- ² + cadere to fall

Synonym Study

See event.

Example Sentences

All of the people appeared to have known each other, and authorities say it wasn’t a random incident.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Franco returned home after the incident, but later handed himself in to police.

Read more on BBC

With incidents from her own life—she and her husband are raising three daughters—she acknowledges how hard and unpleasant it can be to set limits.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

It said it "does not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public following the incident last week".

Read more on BBC

The incident set the scene for a tense first half.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• circumstance 
• episode 
• event 
• fact 
• matter 
• scene