Synonyms for incident
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Event — an event or occurrence
event, occurrence, happening, affair, episode, fact, circumstance, proceeding, goings-on, contingency, digression, adventure, occasion dated, go slang dated, hap slang dated
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
An event or occurrence.
It was an incident that he hoped to forget.
Related words
- Word family
- incidental
- Phrases
- incident ticket system
Forms
- Plural
- incidents → events, occurrences, happenings, affairs…
Choose the right word
An incident is viewed as occurring in the regular course of things, but subordinate to the main purpose, or aside from the main design.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- event Equestrian is the only mixed-gender Olympic event.
- happening Tom didn't know anything about what was happening.
- affair She seems to have something to do with the affair.
- occurrence The occurrence of homicides has decreased recently.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| incident | steady | |
| event | rising | |
| happening | rising | |
| affair | rising | |
| occurrence | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 2 letters
- go1
- 3 letters
- hap1
- 4 letters
- fact1
- 5 letters
- story2, event2
- 6 letters
- affair2
- 7 letters
- episode3
- 8 letters
- occasion3
- 9 letters
- happening3, adventure3
- 10 letters
- occurrence3, proceeding3, digression3
- 11 letters
- contingency4
- 12 letters
- circumstance3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (story2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- incident
- Italiano
- incidente
- Deutsch
- Zwischenfall