incidence, incidents

Do not confuse these similar-sounding words. Incidents is the plural of incident (event, occurrence, or accident).

• Authorities could ignore one such incident, but at least ten incidents of violence are reported every day in our city.

Incidence refers to the frequency with which an event or condition occurs.

• The high incidence of violence (or the high number of violent incidents) in schools is of concern to society as a whole.
• The incidence of typhoid increases as water quality decreases.

Incidence is also a synonym for impact or influence.

• Downsizing has an incidence on employee morale.