Incidental — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl/ in·ci·den·tal

Meaning & Definition of Incidental

Incidental (adjective)

  1. being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence
  2. minor
  3. occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation

Incidental (noun)

  1. minor items (as of expense) that are not particularized
  2. something that is incidental

Incidental (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. happening by chance

    "an incidental meeting of two ships in the middle of the Atlantic"

    similar: accidental, casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, unwitting
    related: coincidental, freak, odd, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, random, uncertain, unexpected, unforeseeable, unforeseen, coerced, forced, involuntary, unconscious, unprompted
    opposite: calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, set
    near: certain, destined, expected, fixed, foreordained, foreseeable, foreseen, inevitable, predestined, predetermined, predictable, preordained, prescribed, sure, conscious, freewill, knowing, unforced, voluntary, volunteer, willful

  2. lacking importance

    "we still have to work out a few incidental details, but the proposal is largely complete"

    similar: fiddling, foolish, frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial, unimportant, neither here nor there
    related: jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown
    opposite: big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty
    near: decisive, fatal, fateful, chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, preeminent, prestigious, famous, notorious, renowned, all-important, basic, essential, fundamental, key

Incidental (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in amenity, extra

    similar: amenity, doodad, embroidery, extra, filler, frill, luxury, nonessential, nonnecessity, auxiliary, subsidiary, appurtenances, bells and whistles, equipment, furnishings, habiliment(s), paraphernalia, trappings, accompaniment, additive, complement, supplement, adornment, decoration, embellishment, enhancement, garnish, ornament, trim, trimming, accessory, accoutrement, adapter, add-on, adjunct, appendage, appliance, attachment, option
    opposite: essential, necessity, requirement, requisite

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Incidental

The most common words with a similar meaning to Incidental:

accidental, casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, unwitting, fiddling, foolish, frivolous, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial, unimportant, neither here nor there, amenity, doodad, embroidery, extra, filler, frill, luxury, nonessential, nonnecessity, auxiliary

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Incidental

Words with the opposite meaning of Incidental:

calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, set, big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty, essential, necessity, requirement, requisite

Related Words for Incidental

coincidental, freak, odd, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, random, uncertain, unexpected, unforeseeable, unforeseen, coerced, forced, involuntary, unconscious, unprompted, jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown

Near Antonyms of Incidental

certain, destined, expected, fixed, foreordained, foreseeable, foreseen, inevitable, predestined, predetermined, predictable, preordained, prescribed, sure, conscious, freewill, knowing, unforced, voluntary, volunteer, willful, decisive, fatal, fateful, chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal

Origin & Etymology of Incidental

First known use: 1644

Words & Phrases Containing Incidental

incidental music

Frequently Asked Questions about Incidental

What does "Incidental" mean?

"Incidental" means being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: being likely to ensue as a chance or minor consequence. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Incidental"?

Other words for "Incidental" include accidental, casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, unintended and unintentional. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Incidental" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Incidental"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Incidental". Common alternatives include accidental, casual, chance, fluky, fortuitous, inadvertent, unintended, unintentional, unplanned and unpremeditated.

What is the opposite of "Incidental"?

Antonyms of "Incidental" include calculated, deliberate, intended, intentional, planned, premeditated, premeditative and prepense. Near antonyms include certain, destined, expected and fixed.

How do you use "Incidental" in a sentence?

Examples of "Incidental" in a sentence: "an incidental meeting of two ships in the middle of the Atlantic"; "we still have to work out a few incidental details, but the proposal is largely complete".

Is "Incidental" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Incidental" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Incidental"?

"Incidental" is pronounced /ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl/ and divided into syllables as in·ci·den·tal.

What is the origin of the word "Incidental"?

First known use: 1644.