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?
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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, in 2023, Mike Dailly, one of the architects of the Grand Theft Auto series – one of the world's best-selling franchises – announced he was joining the SNP.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Incidentally, the advisers in this study were pretty high-end.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 12, 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, that podcast is sure to hit, uh, new heights in its number of listeners this week when Swift makes her first appearance on the show.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2025
Incidentally, I have not told you about Bill in a while.
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.
