incidental outcome

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "incidental outcome" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a result or effect that occurs as a byproduct of an action or event, rather than as the main goal. Example: "The incidental outcome of the new policy was an increase in employee morale, which was not initially anticipated."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In contrast, the development of postzygotic RIMs during the first stage occurs only after there is substantial genetic differentiation between populations, because it comes about only as an incidental outcome of overall genetic divergence.

Encyclopedia Britannica

An incidental outcome of this work and of the early opposition it encountered was the development of Bradford Hill's widely used criteria for causality.

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The second explanation might be the financial support provided by the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries, which led to a direct increase in commercialization outcomes, with an incidental effect of the possibility to patent genomic-based inventions.

European Journal of Human Genetics

These new developments, which had the incidental effect of enabling mathematicians to escape the problems in Weyl's original approach, were the outcome of lines of research that had originally been conducted with little regard for physical questions.

Encyclopedia Britannica

With Gorky, influence is no incidental issue.

The New Yorker

In non-targeted testing, the potential for this type of incidental test outcomes is much greater than in targeted testing, simply because it yields a much larger data set, the significance of which is not yet fully understood.

BMC Medical Ethics

But they also say that the Chinese bid was so clearly superior to others that any bribe money may have been incidental to the outcome.

The New York Times

While the referee, Craig Joubert, snubbed his nose at the marketing men's description of England's kit as "anthracite" – the South African called England "black" throughout – he also presided over a scrummage which was incidental to the outcome in one sense but not in another.

Independent

Sports leagues, television networks and technology companies are adapting to these changing habits, finding novel ways to take apart games — showing only the most exciting bits or helping viewers focus on a single player or statistic which, while it may be important to their fantasy team, could be incidental to the outcome of the game on the court.

The New York Times

To identify incidental CWP (primary outcome), we collected data every three months to screen for pain generalization using the body pain drawing model (T0-T4).

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

In addition, there was no risk of preferential self-reporting for one group or the other; conversely, there may have been a higher risk of incidental ascertainment of outcome events in the ATIV group, which was more frail and therefore more likely to be hospitalized independently of AESI.

American Journal of Epidemiology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "incidental outcome", ensure the primary action or event is clearly defined to provide context for the secondary result.

Common error

Avoid using "incidental outcome" when the result was actually planned or expected; this diminishes the accuracy and clarity of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "incidental outcome" functions as a noun phrase. It typically acts as a subject or object in a sentence, describing a result that occurs as a consequence of another action. As per Ludwig AI, it is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "incidental outcome" refers to a result that happens as a byproduct, rather than the main objective. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While not extremely common, it appears in diverse sources, mainly within the scientific, news, and encyclopedia domains, suggesting a neutral to formal register. Alternatives like ""unintended result"" or "secondary effect" can be used for similar meanings, depending on the context and the nuance one wishes to express.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unintended result

Focuses on the lack of intention behind the result, differing from "incidental outcome" which highlights the by-product nature.

secondary effect

Emphasizes that the outcome is not the main effect, but a consequence.

unplanned consequence

Highlights the lack of planning involved in the outcome.

byproduct

Directly indicates that the outcome is a secondary product of a process.

collateral effect

Implies that the outcome is related to the main effect but not the direct goal.

ancillary result

Stresses that the result is supplementary or auxiliary.

side effect

Often used in medical or technical contexts to denote an unintended consequence.

indirect consequence

Highlights that the outcome is not a direct result of the action.

attendant result

Implies the result naturally accompanies another event.

coincidental effect

Suggests the effect happened by chance alongside something else.

FAQs

How to use "incidental outcome" in a sentence?

"Incidental outcome" describes a result that occurs as a byproduct of an action, not the primary goal. For instance, "The new policy's "unintended result" was increased employee morale."

What can I say instead of "incidental outcome"?

You can use alternatives like ""unintended result"", "secondary effect", or "byproduct" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "incidental outcome" the same as "unintentional outcome"?

While similar, "incidental outcome" emphasizes that the result is a byproduct of something else, whereas "unintentional outcome" simply means the result wasn't planned.

What's the difference between "incidental outcome" and "side effect"?

"Side effect" often carries a negative connotation or is used in medical contexts, while "incidental outcome" is more neutral and can apply to a broader range of situations.