Incident, n.
Etymology: [Cf. F. incident.]
1. That which falls out or takes place; an event; casualty; occurrence.
2. That which happens aside from the main design; an accidental or subordinate action or event. No person, no incident, in a play but must be of use to carry on the main design. Dryden.
3. (Law)
Something appertaining to, passing with, or depending on, another, called the principal. Tomlins.
1 more senses
Syn. -- Circumstance; event; fact; adventure; contingency; chance; accident; casualty. See Event.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Incident, a.
1. Falling or striking upon, as a ray of light upon a reflecting surface.
2. Coming or happening accidentally; not in the usual course of things; not in connection with the main design; not according to expectation; casual; fortuitous. As the ordinary course of common affairs is disposed of by general laws, so likewise men's rarer incident necessities and utilities should be with special equity considered. Hooker.
3. Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining. All chances incident to man's frail life. Milton. The studies incident to his profession. Milward.
4. (Law)
Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal. Incident proposition (Logic), a proposition subordinate to another, and introduced by who, which, whose, whom, etc.; as, Julius, whose surname was Cæsar, overcame Pompey. I. Watts.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for incident; he lists it under accident, circumstance, event, story.
Where he writes about it:
An incident is viewed as occurring in the regular course of things, but subordinate to the main purpose, or aside from the main design. — from accident
Fortune and chance are nearly equivalent, but chance can be used of human effort and endeavor as fortune can not be; we say "he has a chance of success," or "there is one chance in a thousand," where we could not substitute fortune; as personified, Fortune is regarded as having a fitful purpose, Chance as purposeless; we speak of fickle Fortune, blind Chance; "Fortune favors the brave." The slaughter of men is an incident of battle; unexpected defeat, the fortune of war. — from accident
A circumstance is not strictly, nor usually, an occasion, condition, effect, or result. (See these words under cause.) Nor is the circumstance properly an incident. (See under accident.) We say, "My decision will depend upon circumstances"--not "upon incidents." That a man wore a blue necktie would not probably be the cause, occasion, condition, or concomitant of his committing murder; but it might be a very important circumstance in identifying him as the murderer. — from circumstance
A certain disease is the cause of a man's death; his suffering is an incident; that he is in his own home, that he has good medical attendance, careful nursing, etc., are consolatory circumstances. — from circumstance
Etymologically, the incident is that which falls in, the event that which comes out; event is thus greater and more signal than incident; we speak of trifling incidents, great events; incidents of daily life, events of history. — from event
Circumstance agrees with incident in denoting a matter of relatively slight importance, but implies a more direct connection with the principal matter; "circumstantial evidence" is evidence from seemingly minor matters directly connected with a case; "incidental evidence" would be some evidence that happened unexpectedly to touch it. — from event
An episode is connected with the main course of events, like an incident or circumstance, but is of more independent interest and importance. — from event
An anecdote tells briefly some incident, assumed to be fact. — from story