From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishincidentalin‧ci‧den‧tal1 /ˌɪnsəˈdentl◂/ adjective 1 UNIMPORTANThappening or existing in connection with something else that is more important Increased motivation is more than an incidental benefit of reward schemes.incidental to companies that carry out investment business that is incidental to their main activity2 [not before noun]EXPECT naturally happening as a result of somethingincidental to Drinking too much is almost incidental to bartending.
Examples from the Corpus
incidental• The concert is just for fun, really. Any profit we make from it will be purely incidental.• But if so, this is incidental.• It would also have the incidental advantage of further clarification of expectations of managers.• An incidental effect even for those who never use computers may be a change in the nature of junk-mail.• The Red Cross will provide money for food, housing, and incidental expenses.• An incidental feature of the capital transactions is the implication that the capital invested in local farming is being eroded.• Three incidental features of forensic hypnosis may help jog memories, but these potential memory aids are not unique to hypnosis.• Tuition and incidental fees for students total $21,975.• Cloning qua cloning is almost incidental for us, too.• Thus the working party is arguing that information skills are not merely incidental to the curriculum but central to it.• The puzzles are fun, but are incidental to the plot of the book.• Such machines have an incidental use on carpeting and may find therefore a role beyond the kitchen door.incidental to• The subject of the story became incidental to his great storytelling ability.• The dolphin catch was incidental to the fishing operation.incidentalincidental2 noun [countable usually plural] THINGsomething that you have to do, buy etc which you had not planned to Carry extra cash for taxis, tips, and other incidentals.Examples from the Corpus
incidental• Although what is selected for is an ability to grow on poisoned ground, sterility emerges as an incidental.• Production can not be an incidental to the mitigation of inequality or the provision of jobs.• Their breakdown in hybrids is an incidental to evolution within each one.• After paying rent, she has very little money for food, clothing, and incidentals.From Longman Business Dictionaryincidentalin‧ci‧den‧tal /ˌɪnsəˈdentl◂/ adjective incidental costs/expenses etcACCOUNTING small amounts of money which are spent at various times as part of a larger billThe Law Centre has to meet the incidental expenses of the committee, such as phone bills, petrol and stationery. 