The words accidental and incidental sound similar but have different meanings.
Definitions
The adjective accidental means unintentional or happening by chance.
The adjective incidental means secondary or nonessential. It often refers to something that occurs in connection with a more important activity or event.
Examples
- According to the National Safety Council, there were 600 accidental shooting deaths in the United States in 2009.
- "Traditionally, vocabulary learning was often left to look after itself and received only incidental attention in many textbooks and language programs."
(J.C. Richards and W.A. Renandya, Methodology in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press, 2002)
Practice
(a) When you travel on business, _____ expenses are items such as local transportation, telephone calls, tips, and laundry.
(b) _____ fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than in any other room in the house.
Answers to Practice Exercises