incidental
incidental Lexical Profile
incidental Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Accompanying something else but not a major part of it; of secondary or minor importance.
"The documentary's main focus is marine conservation, and the breathtaking underwater photography is merely an incidental benefit."
Liable to happen as a natural or regular consequence of an activity or situation.
"The grant covers tuition and laboratory fees, as well as modest costs incidental to fieldwork."
Happening by chance or in connection with something of greater importance; casual or unplanned.
"An incidental remark during the committee meeting sparked a productive debate on how to improve the curriculum."
• noun
Something that happens in connection with something more important, especially a minor accompaniment or small miscellaneous expense (usually used in the plural).
"The hotel requires a credit card at check-in to cover room service and any other incidentals."
Word Nuance & Usage
When describing something that naturally accompanies or arises from something else, 'incidental' takes the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'expenses incidental to the relocation'). As a noun meaning minor expenses or items, it is almost exclusively used in the plural form ('incidentals').
• Rhymes for incidental
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-17th century from the noun 'incident' plus the suffix '-al', or directly from Medieval Latin 'incidentalis', from Latin 'incidere' ('to fall upon, happen to'), combining 'in-' ('into, upon') and 'cadere' ('to fall').