Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Occurring or likely to occur as an unpredictable or minor consequence: synonym: accidental.
- adjective Of a minor, casual, or subordinate nature.
- noun A minor accompanying item or expense.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Occurring, inseparably or fortuitously, in conjunction with something else, usually of greater importance; of minor importance; occasional; casual: as incidental expenses.
- Synonyms Chance, Casual, etc. See
accidental . - noun Something subordinate or casual: often used in the plural to mean minor expenses.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun An incident; that which is incidental; esp., in the plural, an aggregate of subordinate or incidental items not particularized.
- adjective Happening, as an occasional event, without regularity; coming without design; casual; accidental; hence, not of prime concern; subordinate; collateral
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Loosely associated; existing as a
byproduct ,tangent , oraccident . - adjective Entering or approaching, prior to
reflection (more frequentlyincident ). - noun
Incidental expense .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective following or accompanying as a consequence
- noun (frequently plural) an expense not budgeted or not specified
- adjective (sometimes followed by `to') minor or casual or subordinate in significance or nature or occurring as a chance concomitant or consequence
- adjective not of prime or central importance
- noun an item that is incidental
Etymologies
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Examples
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Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, whose proposal to cut Wisconsin's spending would have what he characterizes as the incidental effect of stripping state workers of their bargaining rights, had this to say: Although my only goal is to put Wisconsin back on its fiscal feet, I can't help but note that if we'd had a fence around the state three weeks ago, you wouldn't see state employees out in front of my office today marching around and carrying signs.
Mark Steinberg: Smash Unions? It Never Even Occurred to Me Mark Steinberg 2011
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Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, whose proposal to cut Wisconsin's spending would have what he characterizes as the incidental effect of stripping state workers of their bargaining rights, had this to say: Although my only goal is to put Wisconsin back on its fiscal feet, I can't help but note that if we'd had a fence around the state three weeks ago, you wouldn't see state employees out in front of my office today marching around and carrying signs.
Mark Steinberg: Smash Unions? It Never Even Occurred to Me Mark Steinberg 2011
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As I wrote Down and Delirious in Mexico City I practiced what might be called incidental research.
Down and Delirious in Mexico City Daniel Hernandez 2011
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As I wrote Down and Delirious in Mexico City I practiced what might be called incidental research.
Down and Delirious in Mexico City Daniel Hernandez 2011
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As I wrote Down and Delirious in Mexico City I practiced what might be called incidental research.
Down and Delirious in Mexico City Daniel Hernandez 2011
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Ibsen had never intended Peer Gynt to be staged, but in 1874 when his ‘dramatic poem’ was going into its third printing he decided to adapt it as a play, and it was to Grieg that his thoughts turned when the idea of incidental music first surfaced in his mind.
Archive 2009-06-01 Lu 2009
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The expenses that MPs claim -- on everything from staff costs of over £100,000 to the additional cost allowance of up to £24,006 and a so-called incidental-expenses provision of £22,190 -- have soared.
School for Scandal 2009
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These trade deficits are structural not incidental, that is, we are not importing products to produce or make us more efficient, we are importing products to consume.
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The hold is determined by sum of three factors, the length of stay, room rate and tax, and something called the incidental factor.
Crowne Plaza Hotel Blindsides You With A $235.13 Hold For Incidental Charges - The Consumerist 2008
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In the most eye-popping result, the absence of a photograph was associated with an 80% drop in so-called incidental findings, such as when a search for kidney stones turns up a tumor.
Say Cheese: Do Photos Help Doctors See Patients Better? 2008
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