INCIDENT Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'incident' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of incident are circumstance , episode , event , and occurrence . While all these words mean "something that happens or takes place," incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance. // a minor wartime incident

Q: When would 'circumstance' be a good substitute for 'incident'?

In some situations, the words circumstance and incident are roughly equivalent. However, circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background. // couldn't recall the exact circumstances

Q: When can 'episode' be used instead of 'incident'?

The words episode and incident can be used in similar contexts, but episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident. // a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work

Q: In what contexts can 'event' take the place of 'incident'?

While the synonyms event and incident are close in meaning, event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause. // the events following the assassination

Q: When might 'occurrence' be a better fit than 'incident'?

While in some cases nearly identical to incident , occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan. // an encounter that was a chance occurrence

incident 1 of 2

noun

ˈin(t)-sə-dənt

Definition of incident next

as in event

something that happens the odd little incident was reported in the local paper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in accompaniment

something that is found along with something else a teen discovering that taxes are the inevitable and evil incident of a paying job

Synonyms & Similar Words

incident

2 of 2

adjective

as in accompanying

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word incident distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of incident are circumstance, episode, event, and occurrence. While all these words mean "something that happens or takes place," incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance.

a minor wartime incident

When would circumstance be a good substitute for incident?

In some situations, the words circumstance and incident are roughly equivalent. However, circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background.

couldn't recall the exact circumstances

When can episode be used instead of incident?

The words episode and incident can be used in similar contexts, but episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident.

a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work

In what contexts can event take the place of incident?

While the synonyms event and incident are close in meaning, event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause.

the events following the assassination

When might occurrence be a better fit than incident?

While in some cases nearly identical to incident, occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan.

an encounter that was a chance occurrence

Examples of incident in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In February, a similar incident occurred when two JetBlue planes made contact on the tarmac at Boston Logan International Airport. —

Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2024 The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. inside of PS 153 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Elementary School in the Hamilton Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, according to ABC News’ New York station WABC. —

Jon Haworth, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2024

Adjective

If a pre-incident crew had ever been assigned to a ski area, this was the first time Lannon had heard of it. —

Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Sep. 2021 Finally, the modern cloud improves auditing capabilities and provides logs and analytics for any post-incident analysis and compliance. —

Vipin Jain, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2021 See all Example Sentences for incident

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incident.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.