adjective / noun

incidental

in-sih-DEN-tul/ˌɪnsɪˈdentl/

A minor or secondary part of something more important.

The scattered sawdust is an incidental result of cutting the board.

An older man saws a wooden board at a workbench; a small scattering of sawdust beneath the cut is a minor by-product of the main woodworking activity.

Etymology

inLatinon, upon

+cidLatinto fall

+entLatinpresent-participle ending

+alLatinrelating to

‘Falling upon’ became a way to express happening or befalling. Incidental describes something that happens casually in connection with something else, making it secondary rather than the main event.

In context

Prof. David Stuckler11:25

some incidental findings not the focus of the paper

How To Write The Discussion Section For Your Research Paper (DETAILED GUIDE)

More examples

Parking fees are incidental expenses on most business trips.
She budgets extra money for tips and other incidentals.
For her, the awards are incidental to the work itself.

Forms

incidental · incidentals

Similar words

minor: Means small in importance, without necessarily accompanying something else.
secondary: Emphasizes lower rank or priority, rather than an accompanying detail.
peripheral: Emphasizes being outside the central focus or main concern.