incident
gb/ˈɪnsɪdənt/ us/ˈɪnsɪdənt/
B1
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
event
1
unusual or unpleasant event
Something that happens, often something bad or unusual.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is involved in an incident
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'incident' with 'accident'. While an accident is usually unplanned and harmful, an incident can be harmful or just unusual without being accidental.
Synonyms
event (More general; can be positive, neutral, or negative.)
|
occurrence (Formal; emphasizes the fact that something happened.)
Antonyms
routine (Describes something regular and expected, the opposite of an unusual event.)
Collocations
serious incident
|minor incident
|violent incident
|report an incident
|incident occurred
Themes
news
|safety
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police are investigating a violent incident that took place downtown.
- There was a minor incident at the school yesterday.
- The incident caused delays for hundreds of commuters.
- She reported the incident to her supervisor immediately.
- The airline apologized for the incident on board the flight.
Learner examples
- There was an incident at the park.
- The teacher talked about the incident in class.
- A police car came after the incident.
- He told his parents about the incident.
- The shop closed after the incident.
Noun
technical
B2
event
2
specific event in official context
One event in a series, especially in official or military reports.
Usage pattern:
the [incident] at [location]
Synonyms
episode (Suggests one part of a series of events.)
Collocations
border incident
|diplomatic incident
|security incident
Themes
military
|law
|government
|politics
|work
Examples
- The two countries discussed the recent border incident.
- A security incident was reported at the embassy.
- The report detailed several incidents during the operation.
Learner examples
- There was a border incident last week.
- They wrote a report about the incident.
- The army talked about the incident in the meeting.
adjective
technical
C1
relation
3
falling upon a surface
In science, used for light or energy that hits something.
Usage pattern:
incident [light/ray/wave]
Synonyms
incoming (General term; not limited to physics.)
Collocations
incident light
|incident ray
Themes
science
|physics
Examples
- The sensor measures the angle of the incident light.
- Incident rays are reflected off the mirror.
- The experiment requires controlling the intensity of the incident beam.
Learner examples
- The mirror reflects the incident light.
- Incident rays hit the glass.
- We measured the angle of the incident ray.
Grammar
Dictionary form
incident
IPA
GB/ˈɪnsɪdənt/
US/ˈɪnsɪdənt/
Syllables & stress
in - cid - ent (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: incident
Noun
- Base: incident
- Plural: incidents
Word family
Forms
incidents
noun
Core family
incidental
adjective B2
incidentally
adverb B2
Advanced or less common
incidence
noun C1
Expressions
incident report
1/ˈɪnsɪdənt ɹɪpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
official written account of event
A paper or online form where details about an unusual or bad event are written for records.
Examples
- She filled out an incident report after the accident.
- The company requires an incident report for any workplace injury.
isolated incident
1/ˈaɪsəlˌeɪtɪd ˈɪnsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
single event not repeated
An event that happens only one time and is not part of a regular pattern.
Examples
- Police said it was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat.
- The fight was an isolated incident and not typical of the team’s behavior.
security incident
1/sɪkjˈʊɹɪti ˈɪnsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
technical
event threatening safety or systems
A problem that puts safety or security at risk.
Examples
- The IT department responded quickly to the security incident.
- Security incidents must be reported immediately to management.
serious incident
1/sˈɪɹiəs ˈɪnsɪdənt/
fixed phrase
event causing major harm or concern
An event that causes big problems or danger.
Examples
- A serious incident at the factory injured several workers.
- The airline is investigating a serious incident involving one of its planes.