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Synonyms

incidental music

American  

noun

  1. music intended primarily to point up or accompany parts of the action of a play or to serve as transitional material between scenes.


incidental music British  

noun

  1. background music for a film, television programme, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

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

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