incidence
incidence — noun
1. how often something, particularly an illness or unwanted event, occurs over a sp
how often something, particularly an illness or unwanted event, occurs over a specific time period or within a particular group of people.
The incidence of flu dropped sharply after the hospital started offering free vaccines.
incidence + of + disease; passive with drop/rise
Dr. Nikhil's team studied the incidence of heart problems among older factory workers.
study/track the incidence of [condition]
A high incidence of skin rashes was seen in children near the polluted river.
Researchers found that the incidence of colds rises when schools reopen each autumn.
The city government wants to reduce the incidence of road accidents by building safer crossings.
- frequency
broader term for how often anything happens, not limited to negative events
- prevalence
in epidemiology, prevalence counts all existing cases at a point in time, while incidence counts only new cases
文法句型
incidence + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Typically followed by of + a noun phrase naming the event or condition. Frequently modified by high or low. Common in academic and medical writing about population health.
常見錯誤
2. the way a beam of light meets or strikes a surface, considered as a physical eve
the way a beam of light meets or strikes a surface, considered as a physical event.
When sunlight enters water, the incidence of the light beam makes it change direction.
incidence of light — physics context
Physicists measure how the incidence of a laser on a prism changes the colours produced.
The camera lens bends the light at the exact point of incidence on its surface.
Solar panels work best when the incidence of sunlight hits them at a right angle.
文法句型
incidence + of + light/beam/ray
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in physics and optics contexts. The compound phrase angle of incidence is common in textbooks but functions as a fixed technical term.