incident: Meaning and Definition of

in•ci•dent

1. an individual occurrence or event.
2. a distinct piece of action, or an episode, as in a story or play.
3. something that occurs casually in connection with something else.
4. something appertaining or attaching to something else.
5. an occurrence of seemingly minor importance, esp. involving nations or factions between which relations are strained and sensitive, that can lead to serious consequences, as an outbreak of hostilities or a war: border incident; international incident.
6. an embarrassing occurrence, esp. of a social nature.

1. likely or apt to happen (usually fol. by to).
2. naturally appertaining: hardships incident to the life of an explorer.
3. conjoined or attaching, esp. as subordinate to a principal thing.
4. falling or striking on something, as light rays.