incidence
C1formal, academic, technical
Definition
Meaning
The occurrence, rate, or frequency of something, especially something undesirable (like a disease).
The manner in which something strikes or affects something else; also used in geometry/physics for the striking of a line or ray on a surface.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to the rate or fact of something happening. Often used with negative events (disease, crime, accidents). In scientific contexts, it is neutral (e.g., 'angle of incidence').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling differences are not applicable.
Connotations
Same connotations in both varieties: primarily statistical/quantitative, often negative in medical/social contexts.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British academic/medical writing due to the structure of the National Health Service reporting, but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[the] incidence of [noun][adjective] incidenceincidence among [group]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “angle of incidence (equals angle of reflection)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used in risk assessment reports, e.g., 'The incidence of workplace injuries has fallen.'
Academic
Common in epidemiology, sociology, and physics. E.g., 'The study tracked the incidence of the virus in the population.'
Everyday
Less common. Might be heard in news reports about health or crime statistics.
Technical
Precise term in medicine (e.g., 'annual incidence'), optics, and geometry.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'incidence' is a noun. The related verb is 'to occur' or 'to happen'.
American English
- N/A - 'incidence' is a noun. The related verb is 'to occur' or 'to happen'.
adverb
British English
- N/A - The adverb form is 'incidentally' (by the way).
American English
- N/A - The adverb form is 'incidentally' (by the way).
adjective
British English
- N/A - The adjective form is 'incidental' (unplanned) or 'incident' (e.g., incident light).
American English
- N/A - The adjective form is 'incidental' (unplanned) or 'incident' (e.g., incident light).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The incidence of flu is high in winter.
- Doctors are worried about the high incidence of heart disease in the region.
- The angle of incidence of the light affects the reflection.
- Public health campaigns have succeeded in reducing the incidence of smoking among teenagers.
- The report noted a marked increase in the incidence of cybercrime.
- The epidemiological model predicted a sharp decline in disease incidence following the vaccination campaign.
- Researchers correlated the incidence of the phenomenon with several socio-economic factors.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'INCIDENTS' (events) - INCIDENCE is the rate at which incidents happen.
Conceptual Metaphor
FREQUENCY IS A MEASURABLE FORCE (e.g., 'a high incidence of cases').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'инцидент' (incident/event). 'Incidence' is about the rate of events, not the event itself.
- Do not confuse with 'coincidence' (совпадение).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'incidents' instead of 'incidence' (e.g., 'There was a high incidents of crime.' -> INCORRECT).
- Using 'incidence' for a single event.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'incidence' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Incidence refers to the number of new cases occurring in a population during a specific period. Prevalence refers to the total number of cases (new and existing) present in a population at a given time.
While often used for negative events, it is a neutral statistical term. In physics ('angle of incidence') it is purely descriptive and neutral.
It is generally an uncountable noun when referring to a rate or frequency (e.g., 'high incidence'). It can be countable in technical contexts referring to specific instances of occurrence, but this is rare.
Confusing it with 'incidents' (a countable noun for events). Saying 'There were many incidences last year' is often incorrect; they likely mean 'There were many incidents.'
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