Word
incident
Phoneticsin·ci·dent, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɪnsədənt/
UK/ˈɪnsɪdənt/
Definitions
01an event or occurrence
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an event, especially one that is unusual, important, or violent.
n. a discrete event or occurrence, often one that is noteworthy or disruptive in nature.
日本語:事件※
Español:incidente
“The police are investigating a serious incident that happened downtown last night.”
“The border incident sparked a diplomatic crisis, forcing both nations to recall their ambassadors for urgent consultations.”
Synonyms
02a minor problem or interruption
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a small event that causes a problem or stops something from working correctly.
n. a relatively minor event that causes an interruption, malfunction, or potential crisis, particularly in technical or workplace contexts.
日本語:事故※
“The flight was delayed due to a small technical incident on the runway.”
“The IT department managed the security incident quickly, ensuring that no sensitive user data was compromised during the server breach.”
Synonyms
03striking a surface
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
adj. used to describe light or energy that is hitting a surface.
adj. falling on or striking a surface; used to describe the direction of a ray or beam relative to the surface it hits.
“The scientist measured the angle of the incident light hitting the glass.”
“The efficiency of the solar panel depends heavily on the angle of the incident radiation throughout the day.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it modifies, such as 'incident light' or 'incident ray'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04naturally connected to
C2 · Proficiency Law Formal · Technical
adj. happening as a natural part of something else.
adj. occurring as a natural or inevitable consequence of something; inherent or appertaining to a specific role or situation.
“Some stress is incident to the job of a doctor.”
“The court ruled that the risks were incident to the nature of the contract and therefore the company was not liable for the damages.”
Usage
Often follows the pattern 'incident to'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “incident” in context.
Verb
01. investigate the incident
“The authorities are currently investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire.”
verb + noun
02. prevent an incident
“Strict security measures were put in place to prevent a similar incident from happening again.”
verb + noun
03. report an incident
“Witnesses were encouraged to report the incident to the local police immediately.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. isolated incident
“The manager insisted that the technical glitch was an isolated incident and not a systemic failure.”
adj + noun
05. minor incident
“Aside from one minor incident involving a flat tire, the road trip was a complete success.”
adj + noun
06. unfortunate incident
“We would like to apologize for the unfortunate incident that occurred during your stay.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. incident report
“The safety officer spent the afternoon filing a detailed incident report regarding the chemical spill.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. without incident
“The protest march passed off without incident, thanks to the cooperation of the organizers.”
prep + noun
09. incident involving
10. incident occurred
11. incident happened
12. incidents in a hour
Real-World Examples
“Settler attacks took place across several towns and villages, including an incident in which three Palestinians, including a child, were pepper-sprayed in their car.” “The UN’s refugee agency ( UNHCR ) reports that 144 migrants attempting to reach Europe are dead or missing due to a series of “tragic maritime incidents” off the coast of Mauritania last week.” “Most of the incidents in Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield involved private e-scooters, often on public roads, pavements or footpaths, despite that being illegal.” “Those incidents could range from passengers belatedly realising they'd left a device in checked baggage, to devices smoking or catching fire in airport baggage halls, or on flights.” Etymology
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/incident
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0