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
Jennifer Obel, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026
American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Unless expressly stated, transportation, ground transfers, meals, gratuities, incidentals, resort or facility fees, security deposits, and all other expenses are the sole responsibility of the winner.
—Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidental
Adjective
That expectation is not incidental.
—Jennifer Obel, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026
American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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
Unless expressly stated, transportation, ground transfers, meals, gratuities, incidentals, resort or facility fees, security deposits, and all other expenses are the sole responsibility of the winner.
—Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incidental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidental
Adjective
-
An infant’s accidental exposure to an infected child can mean serious illness, brain swelling and sometimes death.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
An infant’s accidental exposure to an infected child can mean serious illness, brain swelling and sometimes death.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Snitker managed numerous minor-league clubs over the years, including Richmond, Mississippi, Durham and Macon.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Any minor spills or leaks within this storage area are expected to be contained within the basement level.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 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
-
Ceija Stojka’s small paintings at the Drawing Center swarm with such harrowing incident that viewers may not spot the mystery in the bottom right corner of many of her canvases.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Pistons are small favorites on the road for Game 3.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pair tall plants in the back, medium fillers in the middle and trailing varieties tumbling out front for instant garden depth.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
At 4 to 10 inches tall and wide, violas are a perfect filler plant.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the correspondents’ dinner, and security has typically been focused on the ballroom and rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.—
Collin Binkley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Security has typically been focused on the ballroom — rather than the hotel at large — with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.—
Bridget Byrne,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Musk cofounded OpenAI as a nonprofit dedicated to creating safe AI, but Altman later launched a for-profit subsidiary and is now gearing up for an IPO.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
OpenAI in 2022 announced a $10 billion investment from Microsoft that valued the company, now with a for profit subsidiary, at $20 billion.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidental. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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