What does an incidental or accidental feature refer to in the context of categorization?

In the context of categorization, an incidental or accidental feature refers to characteristics of an object that do not play a crucial role in determining its category or classification. These features are not essential to defining what the object fundamentally is; instead, they are more superficial or peripheral characteristics that might exist but are not intrinsic to the object's identity.

For instance, if you consider a specific type of bird, its color or the presence of a particular feather pattern may be incidental features. These traits might vary widely among individual birds of the same species, and they would not change the fundamental classification of that bird as a member of its species. Therefore, in categorization, incidental features do not affect the placement of an object within a category. Understanding this distinction helps clarify how labels and categories are applied to objects based on essential versus non-essential characteristics.