a small incidence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a small incidence" is not correct in standard English; the correct term is "a small incident." You can use "a small incident" to refer to a minor event or occurrence that is noteworthy but not significant.
Example: "There was a small incident at the office yesterday when the fire alarm went off unexpectedly."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

The optimal setup is characterized by a small incidence angle of the laser beams (≈ 1°), equality of the intensities of the incident beams, and by equality of the widths of the laser beams of the apertures of the detection systems.

Journal of Molecular Liquids

There is a small incidence of other conditions, such as autoimmune diseases and deafness in Labradors, either congenitally or later in life.

Wikipedia

First, TFs with large regulons at the top of the network hierarchy are mostly autoregulated (Fig. 1.C), even though there is a small incidence of this feature in TFs of this layer.

Plosone

However, in patients with known malignant disease there is a small incidence of metastases whose CT appearances overlap with those of benign lesions.

Cancer Imaging

Paradoxically, arsenite at the 5.0 μM concentration produced a small incidence of apoptosis by itself, but it was inhibitory when combined with a strongly apoptotic dose of UVR.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Many of the assumptions necessary for computing RF distances, such as a small incidence of collisions, are violated in this work.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

We observed a smaller incidence of autoregulated TFs (ATFs) at the top (27 of 63 TFs are ATFs, 43%) as compared to lower layers (37/60, i.e., a 62% with p = 0.03 by assigning randomly all autoregulations, i.e., keeping fixed the number of ATFs and network hierarchy, 10 000 times, text S1 section 2).

Plosone

It has been also reported that the 1∶5 and 1∶10 dilutions of smallpox vaccine in adults who had not been previously immunized, were associated with a smaller incidence of adenopathy than those reported in naïve subjects given undiluted vaccine [19], [20].

Plosone

There is also a (smaller) incidence differential between Canada and the US.

BMC Infectious Diseases

The exercise group has even reported a smaller incidence of T2D compared with the diet + exercise group (41% vs 46%).

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy

Almost two-thirds of all cases are diagnosed in children aged 6 years or younger with a smaller incidence peak in early to mid adolescence.

Cancer Imaging

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the frequency of events, use "incidence" correctly in statistical or epidemiological contexts. For specific, individual events, use "incident".

Common error

Avoid using "incidence" when you mean "incident". "Incidence" refers to the rate at which something occurs, while "incident" refers to a specific event. For example, use "a small incident" for a minor event, and "a low incidence" for a rare occurrence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase is intended to function as a quantifier describing the frequency or rate of an occurrence. However, it incorrectly uses "incidence" instead of "incident" in many contexts. As Ludwig AI points out, the correct term to describe a singular event is "incident."

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

83%

Wiki

8%

News & Media

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a small incidence" might seem correct, it often misuses the term "incidence". According to Ludwig AI, "incidence" refers to the rate at which something occurs, while "incident" refers to a specific event. Therefore, in many contexts, "a small incident" is the correct term. The phrase appears mostly in scientific contexts. Be mindful of this distinction to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a minor occurrence

Replaces "incidence" with a more general term for an event.

a low frequency

Focuses on the infrequency of something happening.

a rare event

Emphasizes the rareness of the occurrence.

a slight chance

Highlights the small probability of something happening.

an infrequent instance

Uses more formal vocabulary to describe a rare happening.

a minimal presence

Indicates that something exists but not in a significant quantity.

a scarce appearance

Highlights the rarity of something being seen or observed.

a limited number

Focuses on the small quantity or count of something.

an occasional case

Suggests that something happens from time to time, but not often.

a trickle

Implies a very small and slow rate of occurrence.

FAQs

What is the difference between "a small incidence" and "a small incident"?

"Incidence" refers to the rate or frequency of something happening, especially diseases or other events in a population. "Incident" refers to a specific occurrence or event. Therefore, the correct phrase would usually be "a small incident" to describe a minor event. The phrase "a small incidence" is considered grammatically incorrect.

When should I use "incidence" instead of "incident"?

Use "incidence" when discussing the rate at which something occurs over a period or within a population. For example, "the incidence of flu cases increased this year". Use "incident" when referring to a specific event or occurrence, such as "a minor incident at the school".

What are some alternatives to "a small incident"?

Alternatives to "a small incident" include "a minor event", "a slight occurrence", or "a trivial matter". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is "a low incidence" grammatically correct?

Yes, "a low incidence" is grammatically correct. It means that the rate at which something occurs is low. For example, "a low incidence of complications".