1
as in accidental
happening by chance
an incidental meeting of two ships in the middle of the Atlantic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
lacking importance
we still have to work out a few incidental details, but the proposal is largely complete
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nonessential
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incidental
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
These dynamics are not incidental to the election but are instead part of the environment that the next president will inherit.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
As any Spinal Tap fan can attest, the choice of location for the band's swan song is far from incidental.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidental
Adjective
Mpox does not spread through incidental contact like brushing up against someone on a crowded train car, or shopping in the same store.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
These dynamics are not incidental to the election but are instead part of the environment that the next president will inherit.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
Noun
Officials ruled the hit incidental, though Olszewski left the game and didn’t return with a head injury.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025
As any Spinal Tap fan can attest, the choice of location for the band's swan song is far from incidental.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidental
Adjective
-
Call volume during a typical Patriots game can more than double - hundreds of additional calls for help; Some true emergencies, others accidental pocket dials.—
Juli McDonald,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
Invasive species The authors of the research paper recommend that all incoming extraterrestrial samples be handled exclusively through advanced robotic systems within the lunar facility, minimizing the possibility of human exposure and accidental release.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The postmortem highlighted nearly two dozen laws that the city attorney’s office identified as affecting Meridian city business, some requiring minor tweaks to standard practices and others necessitating city-code overhauls.—
Rose Evans
June 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 June 2026
-
His identity is not being made public after Roach issued an order on Friday barring public identification of any minor witnesses.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Anything deemed nonessential would be put on hold, so Americans could experience delays with certain services and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will go without pay.—
Caitlyn Kim,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The food scraps and stalks are brought to the lab where they're dried, ground up and mixed with various natural binders and fillers leading to a compostable alternative to cement or epoxies.—
Marcella Baietto,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
-
Most Southern gardeners have their vegetable garden planted, summer annuals in the ground and already blooming, containers set with thrillers, fillers, and spillers, the lawn fertilized, and their mowing routine down.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Emergency reserves have little oil to spare and fuel stockpiles are facing critical lows as peak summer demand months approach.—
Devika Krishna Kumar,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The states are asking a federal judge to vacate the lease cancellation and settlement agreement with TotalEnergies' subsidiary, Attentive Energy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
What the expansion involves The company, a subsidiary of the European enrichment consortium Urenco Group, operates the only uranium enrichment facility currently licensed and operating in the United States.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The 37 mm case, integrated bracelet, and dial are crafted in 18-karat gold, with the eight white-gold screws on the bezel providing only the slightest bit of contrast.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
-
Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidental. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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