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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

incident.

An event or occurrence.

8 characters3 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈɪnsɪdənt/[ˈɪnsɪdənt] ~ [ˈɪnsɪdn̩t]
  1. An event or occurrence.

    countable · uncountable
    She could not recall the time of the incident.
    It was an incident that he hoped to forget.
  2. A (relatively minor) event that is incidental to, or related to others.

    countable · uncountable
  3. An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error.

    countable · uncountable
  4. An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error. An event affecting an aircraft, usually a plane crash.

    countable · often · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Recorded since 1412, from Middle French incident, from Latin incidens, the present active participle of incidō (“to happen, befall”), itself from in- (“on”) + -cidō, the combining form of cadō (“to fall”).

adj/ˈɪnsɪdənt/[ˈɪnsɪdənt] ~ [ˈɪnsɪdn̩t]
  1. Arising as the result of an event, inherent.

    not-comparable
    No major hazards incident to this job.
  2. Falling on or striking a surface.

    not-comparable
    The incident light illuminated the surface.
  3. Coming or happening accidentally; not in the usual course of things; not in connection with the main design; not according to expectation; casual; fortuitous.

    not-comparable
  4. Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining.

    not-comparable
  5. Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal.

    not-comparable
  6. In a relation of incidence

    not-comparable
Where this word comes from

Recorded since 1412, from Middle French incident, from Latin incidens, the present active participle of incidō (“to happen, befall”), itself from in- (“on”) + -cidō, the combining form of cadō (“to fall”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.