incidental

[in-si-den-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 ).

noun

1. something incidental, as a circumstance.

2. incidentals, minor expenses.

incidental

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of incidental¹

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

Example Sentences

Inspired by the venomous novel by Warren Adler, both films are metaphors for building a home and then tearing it down, although the chandelier this time is merely incidental.

From Los Angeles Times

And don’t think of that despair as incidental or accidental.

From Salon

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

Every note, important or incidental, he hit in the Rhapsody had a purposeful intensity.

From Los Angeles Times

The incidental details tell a story at moments like this and the timing of that opening climbdown pointed to the speed with which it had been cobbled together.

From BBC

Related Words

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