What does "incident" mean?
An event or occurrence.
Incident
/ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An event or occurrence.
- Grammar: incident is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accidental, accidents, action, adventure.
- Useful contrasts: normalcy, routine.
- Usage evidence: This was third school shooting incident in six months.
How to use "incident"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "incident" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "incident" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "incident" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "incident" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "incident" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accidental" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "incident", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An event or occurrence. countable, uncountable
"She could not recall the time of the incident."
- 2 a single distinct event wordnet
- 3 A (relatively minor) event that is incidental to, or related to others. countable, uncountable
- 4 a public disturbance wordnet
- 5 An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error. countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 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
Adjective
- 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
"As the ordinary course of common affairs is disposed of by general laws, so likewise men's rarer incident necessities and utilities should be with special equity considered."
- 4 Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining. not-comparable
"All chances incident to mans frail life."
- 5 Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal. not-comparable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 In a relation of incidence not-comparable
"The second inequality follows from the fact that all the edges incident with a fixed vertex separate [an arbitrary graph] G."
Adjective
- 1 (sometimes followed by ‘to’) minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence wordnet
- 2 falling or striking of light rays on something wordnet
Example
"This was third school shooting incident in six months."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "incident"?
Common synonyms include: accidental, accidents, action, adventure, adventures, affair.
How do you use "incident" in a sentence?
This was third school shooting incident in six months.
How do you pronounce "incident"?
Pronounced /ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/.
Etymology
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”).