incidental music
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of incidental music
First recorded in 1860–65
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.
The incidental music, though, offers needed theatrical context.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
The show’s theme was a cocktail culture cover of “Crazy Train”; incidental music transitioning one scene to the next was intentionally reminiscent of 1950s sitcoms.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2025
There have been many settings of “Hamlet,” from full operas, to overtures, to incidental music.
From New York Times ● May 16, 2022
The evening opened with “The Consecration of the House,” an overture Beethoven wholly revised in 1822 from incidental music originally composed a decade earlier for August von Kotzebue’s play, “The Ruins of Athens.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2022
He also furnished incidental music for a revival of Twelfth Night and for the production of James Albery’s Oriana.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 4 "Cincinnatus" to "Cleruchy" by Various
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.