Meaning & use

incidental

adjective·Academic

Occurring as a minor, unplanned accompaniment to something more important, rather than as its main part.

See it in a sentence

The trip's real purpose was business, and the sightseeing was purely incidental.

Any incidental costs during the move will be reimbursed by the company.

A note on using this word

Incidental often pairs with 'expenses' or 'costs' in business contexts to mean small, unplanned charges.

Words with a similar meaning

secondaryminorperipheral

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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