“Crime incidence rose sharply last month.”
Confusables Entry 1023 / 1350 60-second read
Incidence vs. Incidents
Rate of occurrence versus plural of incident.
The comparisoni
“Crime incidents rose sharply last month.”
The ruleii
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INCIDENCE = rate. INCIDENTS = events.
INCIDENCE is singular and uncountable — the frequency something happens (low incidence of flu). INCIDENTS is the plural of incident — individual events.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Count events → IncidentS. Measure rate → IncidenCE.