Incidence is the number of new cases of a condition, symptom, death, or injury that develop during a specific time period, such as a year.
Incidence shows the likelihood that a person in a certain population will be newly affected by that condition in a specific period of time.
References
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company; 2021. www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/729742/0/incidence?q=Incidence. Accessed April 1, 2025.
Review Date 4/1/2025
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.