incidence

American  

[in-si-duhns] / ˈɪn sɪ dəns /

noun

• incidences
  plural

1. the rate or range of occurrence or influence of something, especially of something unwanted.

   the high incidence of heart disease in men over 40.

2. a falling upon, affecting, or befalling; occurrence.

   The incidence of murder that Sunday afternoon shocked the sleepy village.

3. Optics, Physics.

   1. the striking of a ray of light, beam of electrons, etc., on a surface, or the direction of striking.

   2. angle of incidence.

4. the fact or the manner of being incident.

5. Geometry. partial coincidence of two figures, as of a line and a plane containing it.

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incidence British  

/ ˈɪnsɪdəns /

noun

1. degree, extent, or frequency of occurrence; amount

   a high incidence of death from pneumonia

2. the act or manner of impinging on or affecting by proximity or influence

3. physics the arrival of a beam of light or particles at a surface See also angle of incidence

4. geometry the partial coincidence of two configurations, such as a point that lies on a circle

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• incidences
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of incidence

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin incidentia. See incident, -ence

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Explanation

Incidence means the frequency with which something bad occurs. You’ll hear of “incidences of cancer” or “incidences of war." You hope the incidence is decreasing, not increasing. You might confuse incidence and incident. They sound similar, but incident refers only to something that happened, not to the frequency with which it happens. After a car accident, the police file an incident report, which is a fancy way of saying they write down what happened. Looking at these reports grouped together can show you if the incidence of accidents at specific intersections in town is on the rise.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incidence incidences

“We’re seeing that there’s a continued rise in the incidence of cancer across multiple different patient segments,” GSK’s Abdullah said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Meat from ultra-processed sources showed the opposite pattern, with greater consumption associated with higher cancer incidence.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

Iowa’s overall cancer incidence roughly tracked the U.S. average from 2000 to 2013, but rates have since risen in Iowa while declining nationwide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Lowri Griffiths of Tenovus said incidence and mortality rates for gynaecological cancers in Wales were higher than the UK average - something she added the Welsh government needed "to get to grips with".

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

A well-known example involves the moderate correlation between milk consumption and the incidence of cancer in various societies.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Morgan’s Celine Pannuti had said that a strong flu season could uplift sales for Haleon, with rising incidences in Europe and the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

According to available data, around twenty incidences were reported in the maritime area along the French Riviera between the 16th century and the early 2000s with waves often exceeding two meters.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026

Local rail has also seen a rise in incidences, such as delays, cancellations and technical problems, which have more than tripled since 2019 on the Madrid local Cercanías network.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

Teens of high school age, 14 to 17, and young adults old enough to be in college, 18 to 22, had the highest incidences of depression throughout the study, the researchers found.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2024

While these new incidences of yellow fever were few and scattered, they demonstrated clearly that the disease had not been completely wiped out.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

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Related Words

• extent
• frequency
• percentage
• prevalence
• proportion
• rate

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