incident

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”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

incident (plural incidents)

1. (countable, uncountable) An event or occurrence.

   She could not recall the time of the incident.

   It was an incident that he hoped to forget.

   The suspect was released without further incident.

2. A (relatively minor) event that is incidental to, or related to others.
3. An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error.

incident (not comparable)

1. Arising as the result of an event, inherent.
   • 1980 December 6, Cindy Rizzo, “Jewish, Lesbian, Feminist, Psychologist, Author—All of the above and more”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 20, page 9:

     It is at this juncture that Toder launches into the familiar and troubling topic of monogamy versus non-monogamy. She outwardly expresses no preference for either option, considering each to hold certain consequences incident to it.

2. (physics, of a stream of particles or radiation) Falling on or striking a surface.

   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.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     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.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 43:

     All chances incident to mans frail life.

   • 17th century, Richard Milward, "Preface" to Seldeniana

     the studies incident to his profession

   • 1816, Richard Lawrence, The complete farrier, and British sportsman, page 245:

     The Vives, like the strangles, is most incident to young horses, and usually proceeds from the same causes, such as catching cold, being over-heated, or over-worked, about the time of shedding their teeth.

5. (law) Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal.
6. (mathematics) In a relation of incidence
   • 2005, Reinhard Diestel, Graph Theory - Electronic Edition, 3rd edition, page 12:

     The second inequality follows from the fact that all the edges incident with a fixed vertex separate [an arbitrary graph] G.

   • 1968, Peter Dembowski, Finite Geometries, page 315:

     If there is only one ideal point U and only one ideal line u, then either (i) every point in u is incident with a line in U, or else (ii) no point in u is incident with any line of U.

incident m (plural incidents)

1. incident

Borrowed from Middle French incident, from Old French incident, from Latin incidēns.

• IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.siˈdɛnt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: in‧ci‧dent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

incident n (plural incidenten)

1. an incident

   Synonym: voorval

• grensincident
• incidenteel
• schietincident
• steekincident

• Afrikaans: insident
• → Indonesian: insiden
• → West Frisian: ynsidint

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

incident (feminine incidente, masculine plural incidents, feminine plural incidentes)

1. incidental
2. (physics) incident

incident m (plural incidents)

1. incident

• “incident”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Form of the verb incidō (“I fall upon”).

incident

1. third-person plural future active indicative of incidō

Form of the verb incīdō (“I cut or hew open”).

incīdent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of incīdō

Borrowed from French incident.

incident m or n (feminine singular incidentă, masculine plural incidenți, feminine and neuter plural incidente)

1. incidental

• IPA^(key): /int͡sǐdent/
• Hyphenation: in‧ci‧dent

incìdent m (Cyrillic spelling инцѝдент)

1. incident

incident c

1. an incident (unexpected, disruptive event)

• tillbud

• incident in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• incident in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)