incident
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The police are investigating a serious incident that happened downtown last night.”
In context“The border incident sparked a diplomatic crisis, forcing both nations to recall their ambassadors for urgent consultations.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The flight was delayed due to a small technical incident on the runway.”
In context“The IT department managed the security incident quickly, ensuring that no sensitive user data was compromised during the server breach.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The scientist measured the angle of the incident light hitting the glass.”
In context“The efficiency of the solar panel depends heavily on the angle of the incident radiation throughout the day.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies, such as 'incident light' or 'incident ray'.
SynonymsimpingingAntonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“Some stress is incident to the job of a doctor.”
In context“The court ruled that the risks were incident to the nature of the contract and therefore the company was not liable for the damages.”
UsageOften follows the pattern 'incident to'.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage incident involving · incident occurred · incident happened
“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.”
“After the incident a train company boss insisted the railway was safe in hot weather.”
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.