The word "incidental" is an adjective that describes something that is secondary, minor, or not the main focus. It often refers to things that happen as a result of something else or that accompany a situation but are not the most important part of it.
Usage Instructions:
Position in a Sentence: "Incidental" usually comes before a noun. For example, you can say "incidental expenses" or "incidental benefits."
Common Context: You would use "incidental" when discussing costs, events, or details that are not central to the main topic.
Example:
"When we went on vacation, we had some incidental expenses, like snacks and souvenirs, that we hadn't planned for."
Advanced Usage:
In a business context, you might say, "The company faced incidental challenges during the merger, but these did not affect the overall success of the deal." This means that while there were some minor problems, they were not crucial to the main outcome.
Word Variants:
Noun Form: "Incidental" can also be a noun, often used in the plural form as "incidentals." For example, "The incidentals of the trip included parking fees and tips."
Adverb Form: The related adverb is "incidentally," which means "by the way" or "as a minor point." For example, "Incidentally, I found your keys in the kitchen."
Different Meanings:
Primary Meaning: Referring to something of lesser importance or secondary nature.
Financial Meaning: Referring to unplanned or extra costs, such as "incidental expenses" that were not part of the main budget.
Synonyms:
Minor
Secondary
Accessory
Peripheral
Unimportant
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
There aren't specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly use "incidental," but you might hear phrases like "in the grand scheme of things," which refers to how minor something is compared to the bigger picture.
Summary:
"Incidental" describes things that are secondary or minor, often arising as a consequence of something else.