incidentally

[in-si-den-tl-ee, -dent-lee]

adverb

1. 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?

2. in the course of something else, and not intentionally.

   The bone fractures were discovered only incidentally, during an unrelated CT scan of her chest.

incidentally

/ ˌɪnsɪˈdɛntəlɪ /

adverb

1. as a subordinate or chance occurrence

2. (sentence modifier) by the way

Word History and Origins

Origin of incidentally¹

First recorded in 1655–65; incidental + -ly

Example Sentences

Frank calls it the most surprising find of her research — incidentally via Worldcat after months of searching the public library archives.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The pronouns provision constitutes a regulation of discriminatory conduct that incidentally affects speech,” the court ruled.

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Aflac’s sales doubled in three years: a fine reminder, which incidentally our political class could profitably remember, that gentle self-mockery always appeals.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Wolfenbarger, incidentally, is not wrong about the recovery period, but it’s more complicated than 25 years suggests.

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The marketplaces have also been “incidentally helpful” in reassigning work as AI rushes in, he added.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• casually 
• remotely