Standard Lemma guide

incidentally

adv · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɪnsɪˈdɛntl̩i/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌɪnsəˈdɛn(t)l̩i/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S IH0 D EH1 N T AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH2 N S IH0 D EH1 N T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In an incidental manner.

By happenstance; in a particular case which has little to no bearing on, and little to no causal relation to, any other case.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: manner

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: coincidentally, happenstantially, circumstantially, by chance, accidentally, semirandomly, randomly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: coincidentally, happenstantially, circumstantially, by chance, accidentally, semirandomly, randomly

Antonyms: inevitably, certainly, systemically, systematically, essentially

2

adv

Meaning 2

In an incidental manner.

Not of central or critical importance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: manner

Examples

  • Near-synonym: in passing
  • The book discussed the subject, but only incidentally.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: in passing

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In an incidental manner.

Parenthetically, by the way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: conjunctive

Qualifier: speech act

Topics: manner

Examples

  • Incidentally, did you hear anything new from your brother yesterday?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

introducing a different topic; in point of fact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • incidentally, I won't go to the party

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: by the way, by the bye, apropos

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

of a minor or subordinate nature

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • these magnificent achievements were only incidentally influenced by Oriental models

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accidentally

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English incidental Middle English -ly English -ly English incidentally From incidental + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: kalimthi — in an incidental manner
  • Arabic: صُدْفَةً (ṣudfatan) — in an incidental manner
  • Armenian: իմիջիայլոց (imiǰiaylocʻ) — in an incidental manner
  • Belarusian: выпадко́ва (vypadkóva) — in an incidental manner
  • Bulgarian: случа́йно (slučájno) — in an incidental manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 偶然 (ǒurán) — in an incidental manner
  • Finnish: sivuten — in an incidental manner
  • Finnish: ohimennen — in an incidental manner
  • French: incidemment — in an incidental manner
  • German: nebenbei — in an incidental manner
  • Hungarian: érintőleg — in an incidental manner
  • Hungarian: érintőlegesen — in an incidental manner
  • Hungarian: futólag — in an incidental manner
  • Hungarian: mellékesen — in an incidental manner
  • Italian: incidentalmente — in an incidental manner
  • Japanese: たまたま (tamatama) — in an incidental manner
  • Japanese: 偶然 (gūzen) — in an incidental manner
  • Korean: 우연히 (uyeonhi) — in an incidental manner
  • Polish: przy okazji — in an incidental manner
  • Portuguese: incidentalmente — in an incidental manner
  • Romanian: apropo — in an incidental manner
  • Russian: случа́йно (slučájno) — in an incidental manner
  • Scottish Gaelic: eadar dà sgeul — in an incidental manner
  • Spanish: incidentalmente — in an incidental manner
  • Swedish: apropå — in an incidental manner
  • Swedish: i förbigående — in an incidental manner
  • Turkish: sırası gelmişken — in an incidental manner
  • Turkish: bu arada — in an incidental manner
  • Turkish: bir ara — in an incidental manner
  • Turkish: lâf arasında — in an incidental manner
  • Ukrainian: випадко́во (vypadkóvo) — in an incidental manner
  • Albanian: kalimthi — without looking for something/somebody
  • Dutch: toevalligerwijze — without looking for something/somebody
  • Finnish: sattumoisin — without looking for something/somebody
  • Finnish: sattumalta — without looking for something/somebody
  • German: zufällig — without looking for something/somebody
  • German: zufälligerweise — without looking for something/somebody
  • Hungarian: véletlenül — without looking for something/somebody
  • Italian: casualmente — without looking for something/somebody
  • Portuguese: acidentalmente — without looking for something/somebody
  • Portuguese: por acaso — without looking for something/somebody
  • Spanish: casualmente — without looking for something/somebody
  • Arabic: عَلَى فِكْرَة (ʕalā fikra) — by the way — see also by the way
  • Bulgarian: между́ дру́гото (meždú drúgoto) — by the way — see also by the way
  • Esperanto: parenteze — by the way — see also by the way
  • Finnish: muuten — by the way — see also by the way
  • Finnish: sattua — by the way — see also by the way
  • German: apropos — by the way — see also by the way
  • German: übrigens — by the way — see also by the way
  • German: im Übrigen — by the way — see also by the way
  • German: nebenbei gesagt — by the way — see also by the way
  • Hungarian: egyébként — by the way — see also by the way
  • Hungarian: amúgy — by the way — see also by the way
  • Hungarian: mellesleg — by the way — see also by the way
  • Irish: dála an scéil — by the way — see also by the way
  • Italian: per inciso — by the way — see also by the way
  • Polish: nawiasem mówiąc — by the way — see also by the way
  • Polish: notabene — by the way — see also by the way
  • Polish: na marginesie — by the way — see also by the way
  • Portuguese: a propósito — by the way — see also by the way
  • Portuguese: aliás — by the way — see also by the way
  • Russian: кста́ти (kstáti) — by the way — see also by the way
  • Russian: ме́жду про́чим (méždu próčim) — by the way — see also by the way
  • Spanish: por cierto — by the way — see also by the way
  • Spanish: a propósito — by the way — see also by the way
  • Ukrainian: до ре́чі (do réči) — by the way — see also by the way
  • Ukrainian: між і́ншим (miž ínšym) — by the way — see also by the way
  • Vietnamese: à này — by the way — see also by the way
  • Yiddish: אַגבֿ (agev) — by the way — see also by the way
Real reading context

incidentally in complete knowledge articles