Incident vs Accident
Difference between incident and accident is a topic worth looking into as incident and accident are often confused when it comes to their usage. The two words incident and accident have some interesting facts to offer. Accident is a noun while incident is used as a noun and an adjective. The origin of the word accident lies in Late Middle English while the origin of the word incident lies in Late Middle English too. Furthermore, the word accident is used in a number of phrases such as an accident waiting to happen, by accident, without accident, etc.
What does Incident mean?
The word incident is used to indicate ‘a happening or an event that takes place and which attracts the attention of people’. As a matter of fact, an incident does not involve the loss of human life or any casualty. Look at the following examples.
The incident attracted a large number of people.
She was very much ashamed about the incident her son created in the ball.
In the first sentence given above, the word incident gives the sense of a ‘happening that attracted a large number of people’. The happening might be a road-show or a ‘road-quarrel’. The second sentence also speaks about some kind of a happening that got the attention of many and possibly a very shameful one. On the other hand, the adverbial form of the word incident is incidentally.
What does Accident mean?
On the other hand, the word accident is used to express ‘a happening or an event that takes place all of a sudden’. Unlike an incident, an accident usually involves the loss of human life or casualty. This is the main difference between the two words. An accident is a happening that attracts a crowd too like an incident. Sometimes the word accident also refers to a happening that takes place unexpectedly as in the sentence given below.
Last night I met my friend by accident.
In this sentence, you can find that a person met his friend unexpectedly.
Observe the sentences given below:
The accident took away 25 lives.
She was in a coma for three months after the accident.
In the first sentence given above, the word accident gives the sense of a ‘happening that took away many lives’. It possibly refers to a gory road accident. If you look at the second sentence, it too speaks of some kind of an accident that made the victim a coma patient. It is important to know that the word accident is used in the formation of phrases such as ‘by accident’ and the like. The adverbial form of the word is accidentally.
What is the difference between Incident and Accident?
• The word incident is used to indicate ‘a happening or an event that takes place and which attracts the attention of people’. On the other hand, the word accident is used to express ‘a happening or an event that takes place all of a sudden’.
• As a matter of fact, an incident does not involve the loss of human life or any casualty.
• On the other hand, an accident usually involves the loss of human life or casualty. This is the main difference between the two words.
• Sometimes the word accident also refers to a happening that takes place unexpectedly.
• An accident is a happening that attracts a crowd too like an incident.
• The word accident is used in the formation of phrases such as ‘by accident’ and the like.
• The adverbial form of incident is incidentally while the adverbial form for accident is accidentally.
These are the main differences between the two words accident and incident.