different between incidental vs auxiliary

English

Etymology

From incident +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ns??d?nt?l/, /?ns??d?nt?l/
  • (US) IPA^(key): (nasal flap) [?ns??d?.???l], (enunciated) [?ns??d?n.t??l]

Adjective

incidental (comparative more incidental, superlative most incidental)

1. Loosely associated; existing as a byproduct, tangent, or accident; being a likely consequence.

   That character, though colorful, is incidental to the overall plot.

2. Occurring by chance
3. (physics, of radiation) Entering or approaching, prior to reflection (more frequently incident).

Synonyms

• (existing as an accident): accidental, contingent; See also Thesaurus:circumstantial
• (occurring by chance): accidental, serendipitous; See also Thesaurus:accidental

Antonyms

• (existing as an accident): inevitable, necessary, impossible; See also Thesaurus:inevitable
• (occurring by chance): inevitable, intentional; See also Thesaurus:intentional

Derived terms

• incidental expense
• incidentally
• incidental music

Related terms

• incident
• incidence

Translations

Noun

incidental (plural incidentals)

1. Minor items, not further defined. Incidental expense.

   She's costing us a lot in incidentals.

2. Something that is incidental.

Translations

Anagrams

• anticlined

Portuguese

Adjective

incidental m or f (plural incidentais, comparable)

1. incidental (existing by chance)

Romanian

Etymology

From French incidentel

Adjective

incidental m or n (feminine singular incidental?, masculine plural incidentali, feminine and neuter plural incidentale)

1. incidental

Declension

Spanish

Adjective

incidental (plural incidentales)

1. incidental (existing by chance)

English

Etymology

From Latin auxili?rius (“assistant, ally”), equiv. to auxili?ris (“helping, aiding”), from auxilium (“help, aid”), from aug?re (“to increase”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??k?s?lj??i/, /??k?s?li.??i/, /??k?s?l??i/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???z?lj??i/, /???z?li??i/, /???z?l??i/
• (cot-caught merged) IPA^(key): /???z?lj??i/, /???z?li??i/, /???z?l??i/
• Rhymes: -?li??i
• Rhymes: -?li???i

Adjective

auxiliary (not comparable)

1. Helping; giving assistance or support.

   auxiliary troops

   Synonyms: ancillary, accessory

2. Supplementary or subsidiary.
3. Held in reserve for exceptional circumstances.
4. (nautical) Of a ship, having both sails and an engine.
5. (grammar) Relating to an auxiliary verb.

Synonyms

• (supplementary): accessory
• (having sails and engine): motorsailer

Translations

Noun

auxiliary (plural auxiliaries)

1. A person or group that acts in an auxiliary manner.
2. A sailing vessel equipped with an engine.
3. (grammar) An auxiliary verb.

   • The three traditionally recognized Non-modal Auxiliaries are the per-
     fective Auxiliary have, the progressive Auxiliary be, and the passive Auxiliary
     be. Perfective have is so-called because it marks the completion (hence, perfec-
     tion) of an action; it is followed by a VP headed by a perfective -n participle, as
     in:
     (121)    The referee has [_VP shown him the red card]

4. A marching band colorguard.

Translations

Related terms

• auction
• auctioneer
• augment
• augmentation

See also

• axillary

Further reading

• auxiliary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• auxiliary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.