incidental

American  

[in-si-den-tl] / ˌɪn sɪˈdɛn tl /

adjective

1. happening or likely to happen in an unplanned or subordinate conjunction with something else.

   Synonyms:

   contingent, fortuitous, chance, casual

   Antonyms:

   fundamental

2. incurred casually and in addition to the regular or main amount.

   incidental expenses.

3. likely to happen or naturally appertaining (usually followed byto ).

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noun

1. something incidental, as a circumstance.

2. incidentals, minor expenses.

incidental British  

/ ˌɪnsɪˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. happening in connection with or resulting from something more important; casual or fortuitous

2. found in connection (with); related (to)

3. caused (by)

4. occasional or minor

   incidental expenses

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noun

1. (often plural) an incidental or minor expense, event, or action

Other Word Forms

• incidentalness noun
• nonincidental adjective
• nonincidentally adverb
• unincidental adjective
• unincidentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of incidental

First recorded in 1610–20; incident + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Another limitation is having an incidental finding, such as a lung nodule.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This is not incidental capital, it represents roughly one-fifth of the total transaction value,” Booker and the others wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

People are incidental to Godzilla’s destructive marches through cities or transoceanic swims.

From Salon

Amid them, the ballet moves seem more incidental than poetically potent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Generally, the deduction is designed for expenses that are incidental to research and development, such as rent, utilities and other overhead.

From Barron's

Related Words

• accidental
• ancillary
• casual
• coincidental
• random
• secondary