incident

[ in-si-duhnt ]

noun

1. an individual occurrence or event.

   Synonyms: happening

2. a distinct piece of action, or an episode, as in a story or play.
3. something that occurs casually in connection with something else.
4. something appertaining or attaching to something else.
5. an occurrence of seemingly minor importance, especially involving nations or factions between which relations are strained and sensitive, that can lead to serious consequences, as an outbreak of hostilities or a war:

   border incident; international incident.

6. an embarrassing occurrence, especially of a social nature.

adjective

1. likely or apt to happen (usually followed by to ).
2. naturally appertaining:

   hardships incident to the life of an explorer.

3. conjoined or attaching, especially as subordinate to a principal thing.
4. falling or striking on something, as light rays.

incident

/ ˈɪnsɪdənt /

noun

1. a distinct or definite occurrence; event
2. a minor, subsidiary, or related event or action
3. a relatively insignificant event that might have serious consequences, esp in international politics
4. a public disturbance

   the police had reports of an incident outside a pub

5. the occurrence of something interesting or exciting

   the trip was not without incident

adjective

1. postpositivefoll byto related (to) or dependent (on)
2. whenpostpositive, often foll by to having a subsidiary or minor relationship (with)
3. (esp of a beam of light or particles) arriving at or striking a surface

   incident electrons

Other Words From

• inci·dent·less adjective
• non·inci·dent noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incident¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin incident- (stem of incidēns “a happening,” noun use of present participle of Latin verb incidere “to fall upon, befall”), equivalent to Latin in- in- ² + -cid- (combining form of cad- “fall”) + -ent- -ent; cadenza

Word History and Origins

Origin of incident¹

C15: from Medieval Latin incidens an event, from Latin incidere, literally: to fall into, hence befall, happen, from in- ² + cadere to fall

Synonym Study

See event.

Example Sentences

Melvin asked Clinton if he felt any differently about the incident now.

From Salon

Corpus Christi College commissioned an independent serious incident review following the death.

From BBC

But the sisters are radicalized after being attacked in the 1969 Burntollet Bridge incident, when protesters calling for equal rights on a peaceful march from Belfast to Derry were ambushed by a mob wielding stones, iron bars and sticks spiked with nails.

From Los Angeles Times

She had got out of a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side while transporting her moments before the incident, police added.

From BBC

Sussex Police confirmed to the BBC that no arrests have been made following the incident, which they were investigating.

From BBC

Related Words

• circumstance
• episode
• event
• fact
• matter
• scene