incidir
verbCEFR B2
What does “incidir” mean in English?
to bear on, to affect
to bear on, to affect (a factor exerting influence on a situation; incidir en + noun — formal register)
Example sentences
La falta de inversión en educación básica incide directamente en los niveles de desigualdad social a largo plazo.
The lack of investment in basic education directly impacts levels of social inequality in the long term.
Este factor incide de manera especial en los colectivos más vulnerables, que tienen menos recursos para adaptarse.
This factor has a particularly marked impact on the most vulnerable groups, who have fewer resources to adapt.
How to use it
Incidir en has two B2 senses. (1) To have an impact on, to affect (incidir en los resultados, en la desigualdad) — causal influence on a domain. (2) To dwell on, to stress, to keep returning to (el ponente insistió en incidir en ese punto) — more meta-discursive. In the debate-explanation lane, sense 1 dominates: 'X incide en Y' means X produces an effect or influence on Y, typically indirect or structural. It is similar to 'repercutir en' but incidir implies a direct strike or impact point, whereas repercutir emphasises ripple effects. The preposition is always en.
Common mistake
Incidir en (sense 1) is not the same as 'afectar a' — incidir implies a targeted, structural impact (often one factor striking a system variable), while afectar is broader. Always use en, not *sobre or *a. Do not confuse with 'insistir en' (to insist on) — the two are formally similar but semantically very different.