incidence

noun

Definition of incidencenext
as in prevalence
the rate at which something happens They found an increased incidence of crime in the city when social programs were cut.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incidence Cases have been on the rise in recent years, with overall incidence increasing about 3% annually from 2014 through 2021, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Such hotspot maps could become a useful source of information for the public to help determine their risk for Lyme disease, and also provide deeper insight into where ticks move and how that affects the incidence of Lyme. — Alice Park, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 One analysis of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older found nearly 60,000 incident cases of NTM pulmonary disease from 2010 to 2019, with incidence highest in the South and among women, Asian individuals and people aged 80 and older. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 Black men have a prostate cancer incidence rate nearly 70% higher than that of white men and are two to four times more likely to die from the disease than men in other racial and ethnic groups, according to the American Cancer Society. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incidence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incidence
  1. prevalence
  2. occurrence
  3. frequency
Noun
  • This, though, may not fully explain the large rise in prevalence, especially as the report found substantial increases across every age and body mass index category.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • And the rover and hopper, if successful, will provide the best available data on the presence and prevalence of water there.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevalence
Noun
  • This would account for the way that everyday concerns (like missing the bus) and unlikely occurrences (being chased by evildoers) can mesh in dreams, forming a mix of strange situations.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Buckeyes are ranked #1 in many preseason polls (common occurrence) and will have a target on their backs.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of occurrence
Noun
  • Performance should likewise be assessed across channels, using measures such as total net revenue, customer acquisition, purchase frequency, retention, and returns—not store sales, online growth, or foot traffic in isolation.
    — Ayşe Çetinel, Harvard Business Review, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That allows personnel to train against the physical aircraft, radio-frequency characteristics and flight behavior of DJI systems while attempting to isolate the drones from external data connections.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of frequency

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inchoative
incidence
incident
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Cite this Entry

“Incidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incidence. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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