incident

English

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

incident (plural incidents)

1. (countable, uncountable) An event or occurrence.

   She could not recall the time of the incident.

   It was an incident that he hoped to forget.

   The suspect was released without further incident.

2. A (relatively minor) event that is incidental to, or related to others.
3. An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error.

Derived terms

• aviation incident
• coincident
• critical incident stress management
• incidental
• incident report
• incident room
• incident ticket system
• without incident

 

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱh₂d-‎ (0 c, 30 e)

Translations

event or occurrence

• Arabic: حَادِث‎ (ar) m (ḥādiṯ), حَادِثَة‎ f (ḥādiṯa), وَاقِعَة‎ f (wāqiʕa)
• Armenian: դեպք (hy) (depkʿ), պատահար (hy) (patahar), դիպված (hy) (dipvac)
• Azerbaijani: hadisə (az), macəra (az), vaqiə, olay (az)
• Bashkir: ваҡиға (vaqiğa), хәл (xäl), осраҡ (osraq)
• Basque: gertaera
• Belarusian: здарэ́нне n (zdarénnje), вы́падак m (výpadak), інцыдэ́нт m (incydént)
• Bengali: অকু (bn) (oku), অকুআত (bn) (okuat)
• Bulgarian: слу́чка (bg) f (slúčka), инциде́нт (bg) m (incidént)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 事件 (zh) (shìjiàn)

• Czech: událost (cs) f, příhoda f, incident (cs) m
• Danish: begivenhed c
• Dutch: incident (nl) n, voorval (nl) n, episode (nl), gebeuren (nl) n, gebeurtenis (nl) f
• Esperanto: okazo
• Estonian: vahejuhtum
• Finnish: tapaus (fi), tapahtuma (fi)
• French: incident (fr) m
• Georgian: ინციდენტი (incidenṭi), შემთხვევა (šemtxveva)
• German: Vorfall (de) m, Begebenheit (de) f, Ereignis (de) n, Geschehnis (de) n, Vorkommnis (de) n, Episode (de) f
• Greek: επεισόδιο (el) n (epeisódio), περιστατικό (el) n (peristatikó)
• Hebrew: תַּקְרִית‎ (he) f (taqrít)
• Hindi: घटना (hi) f (ghaṭnā)
• Icelandic: atburður (is) m
• Indonesian: insiden (id), kejadian (id), peristiwa (id)
• Irish: eachtra (ga) f
• Japanese: 事故 (ja) (じこ, jiko)
• Kazakh: оқиға (kk) (oqiğa)
• Khmer: ឧប្បត្តិហេតុ (ʼupbat haet)
• Korean: 사건(事件) (ko) (sageon)
• Kyrgyz: окуя (ky) (okuya)
• Macedonian: слу́чка f (slúčka), инциде́нт m (incidént)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: явдал (mn) (javdal)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hendelse (no) m, episode (no) m

  Nynorsk: episode m

• Persian: واقعه‎ (fa) (vâqe'e), حادثه‎ (hâdese)
• Polish: wydarzenie (pl) n, incydent (pl) m
• Portuguese: incidente (pt)
• Romanian: incident (ro) n, caz (ro) n
• Russian: происше́ствие (ru) n (proisšéstvije), слу́чай (ru) m (slúčaj), инциде́нт (ru) m (incidént)
• Sanskrit: घटना (sa) f (ghaṭanā)
• Scottish Gaelic: tuiteamas m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: слу̏ча̄ј m, инцѝдент m

  Roman: slȕčāj (sh) m, incìdent (sh) m

• Slovak: udalosť f, prípad (sk) m, incident m
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: tšojenje n

• Spanish: incidente (es) m
• Swedish: händelse (sv), incident, tilldragelse (sv)
• Tajik: воқеа (tg) (voqea), ҳодиса (tg) (hodisa), моҷаро (mojaro)
• Thai: กรณี (th) (gà-rá-nii), อุบัติการณ์ (ù-bàt-dtì-gaan)
• Turkish: olay (tr), hadise (tr)
• Ukrainian: ви́падок m (výpadok), інциде́нт m (incydént)
• Uyghur: ۋەقە‎ (weqe)
• Uzbek: voqea (uz), hodisa (uz), mojaro (uz)
• Vietnamese: sự kiện (vi)

(minor) event incidental to others

• Bashkir: осраҡлы (osraqlı) хәл (xäl)
• Bulgarian: епизод (bg) m (epizod)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 事件 (zh) (shìjiàn)

• Dutch: incident (nl) n, voorval (nl) n, episode (nl), gebeuren (nl) n, gebeurtenis (nl) f
• Finnish: tapaus (fi), sattumus (fi)
• German: Nebeneffekt m, Ereignisfall m, Nebenumstand m, Nebensache (de) f, Nebenfolge (de) f, Folge (de) f, Verpflichtung (de) f, Nebenhandlung f
• Macedonian: епизо́да f (epizóda)
• Polish: incydent (pl) m
• Romanian: episod (ro) n, mic incident, minor incident n
• Scottish Gaelic: tuiteamas m

event causing interruption or crisis

• Azerbaijani: hadisə (az), qəza (az)
• Belarusian: інцыдэ́нт m (incydént), здарэ́нне n (zdarénnje)
• Bengali: অকু (bn) (oku), অকুআত (bn) (okuat)
• Bulgarian: произше́ствие (bg) n (proizšéstvie), инциде́нт (bg) m (incidént)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 事件 (zh) (shìjiàn)

• Czech: incident (cs) m
• Dutch: incident (nl) n, voorval (nl) n
• Finnish: välikohtaus (fi), vaaratilanne (danger or crisis), häiriötilanne, selkkaus (fi) (armed conflict)
• Georgian: შემთხვევა (šemtxveva), ინციდენტი (incidenṭi)
• German: Vorfall (de) m, Störfall m (technical), Ereignis (de) n, Zwischenfall (de) m, Affäre (de) f, Fehler (de) m
• Hebrew: תַּקְרִית‎ f (takrít)
• Hungarian: incidens (hu)
• Irish: eachtra (ga) f
• Italian: imprevisto (it) m, inconveniente (it) m, incidente (it) m
• Japanese: 事故 (ja) (じこ, jiko)
• Khmer: ឧប្បត្តិហេតុ (ʼupbat haet)
• Korean: 사건(事件) (ko) (sageon)
• Lao: ອຸປະຕິເຫດ (ʼu pa ti hēt)
• Macedonian: инциде́нт m (incidént), не́згода f (nézgoda)
• Persian: حادثه‎ (fa) (hâdese)
• Polish: incydent (pl) m
• Romanian: incident (ro) n, deranjament (ro) n
• Russian: происше́ствие (ru) n (proisšéstvije), инциде́нт (ru) m (incidént)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: инцѝдент m, нѐзгода f

  Roman: incìdent (sh) m, nèzgoda (sh) f

• Slovak: incident m
• Slovene: incident m, nezgoda f
• Swedish: olyckshändelse (sv), tillbud (sv)
• Tajik: ҳодиса (tg) (hodisa)
• Thai: อุบัติเหตุ (th) (ù-bàt-dtì-hèet)
• Turkish: hadise (tr), kaza (tr)
• Ukrainian: інциде́нт m (incydént)
• Uzbek: hodisa (uz)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "noun or adjective?"

• French: ^{(please verify)} incident (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} fait-divers (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} accident (fr) m
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} సంఘటన (te) (saṅghaṭana), ^{(please verify)} జరిగిన సంగతి (jarigina saṅgati), ^{(please verify)} కథ (te) (katha)

Adjective

incident (not comparable)

1. Arising as the result of an event, inherent.
2. (physics, of a stream of particles or radiation) Falling on or striking a surface.

   The incident light illuminated the surface.

3. Coming or happening accidentally; not in the usual course of things; not in connection with the main design; not according to expectation; casual; fortuitous.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     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.

4. Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 43:

     All chances incident to mans frail life.

   • 17th century, Richard Milward, "Preface" to Seldeniana

     the studies incident to his profession

   • 1816, Richard Lawrence, The complete farrier, and British sportsman, page 245:

     The Vives, like the strangles, is most incident to young horses, and usually proceeds from the same causes, such as catching cold, being over-heated, or over-worked, about the time of shedding their teeth.

5. (law) Dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing, called the principal.

Translations

arising as the result of an event

• Bulgarian: произтичащ (bg) (proiztičašt)
• Dutch: inherent (nl)
• Finnish: johtuva (fi)
• German: verbunden (de), zusammenhängend (de), inhärent (de), anhaftend (de), dazugehörend (de), inherent (de), folgend (de), zugehörig (de), gehörend zu
• Greek: συναφής (el) (synafís)
• Polish: wynikający, towarzyszący
• Romanian: incidental (ro)
• Russian: свойственный (ru) (svojstvennyj)
• Ukrainian: власти́вий (uk) (vlastývyj)

physics: falling on a surface

• Bulgarian: падащ (bg) (padašt)
• Dutch: inslaand (nl)
• Finnish: tuleva (fi)
• German: einfallend (de), auftreffend (de)
• Greek: προσπίπτουσα (prospíptousa) (ακτίνα), προσπίπτων (prospípton)
• Irish: ionsaitheach
• Polish: padający m
• Romanian: incident (ro)
• Russian: падающий (ru) (padajuščij)
• Slovak: dopadajúci m
• Ukrainian: па́даючий (pádajučyj)

happening accidentally; casual

• Bulgarian: случаен (bg) (slučaen), инцидентен (bg) (incidenten)
• Finnish: satunnainen (fi)

liable to happen; naturally happening or appertaining

• Finnish: kuuluva (fi), asiaankuuluva, asianmukainen (fi)

legal: dependent upon, or appertaining to, another thing

Catalan

Noun

incident m (plural incidents)

1. incident

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French incident, from Old French incident, from Latin incidēns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.siˈdɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: in‧ci‧dent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

incident n (plural incidenten)

1. An incident.

   Synonym: voorval

Derived terms

• grensincident
• incidenteel
• schietincident
• steekincident

Descendants

• Afrikaans: insident
• → Indonesian: insiden
• → West Frisian: ynsidint

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

incident (feminine incidente, masculine plural incidents, feminine plural incidentes)

1. incidental
2. (physics) incident

Noun

incident m (plural incidents)

1. incident

Further reading

• “incident”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Etymology 1

Form of the verb incidō (“I fall upon”).

Verb

incident

1. third-person plural future active indicative of incidō

Etymology 2

Form of the verb incīdō (“I cut or hew open”).

Verb

incīdent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of incīdō

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French incident.

Adjective

incident m or n (feminine singular incidentă, masculine plural incidenți, feminine and neuter plural incidente)

1. incidental

Declension

Declension of incident

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	incident		incidentă	incidenți	incidente
	definite	incidentul		incidenta	incidenții	incidentele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	incident		incidente	incidenți	incidente
	definite	incidentului		incidentei	incidenților	incidentelor

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /int͡sǐdent/
• Hyphenation: in‧ci‧dent

Noun

incìdent m (Cyrillic spelling инцѝдент)

1. incident

Declension

Declension of incident

	singular	plural
nominative	incìdent	incidenti
genitive	incidenta	incìdenātā
dative	incidentu	incidentima
accusative	incident	incidente
vocative	incidente	incidenti
locative	incidentu	incidentima
instrumental	incidentom	incidentima