3

I'm asking the question primarily because I suspect there is such a word and I forgot it. An example sentence:

The new policy was adopted by the company to simplify the handling of temp workers. It increased overall security as a side effect.

The event is a policy change. The advertised outcome is simplifying some procedure. The incidental outcome is an increase in security. Thus, 'incidentally' satisfices.

It incidentally increased overall security.

However, this word implies that the side effect is accidental (more specifically, incidental :-)) rather than by design. I'd like a word which expresses the idea that the incidental effect was in fact sought-for, and that the advertised outcome for the event of which it is an outcome was put forward only to encourage the occurrence the event, rather than for itself.

EDIT 1: on intentionality.

If the incidental outcome is sought for by the narrator in my sentence -- whilst others aren't aware of this outcome or don't value it, what is a good word to qualify the 'secretly' or 'unknowingly' desirable outcome?

In the case of my sentence, it is already implied that the narrator sees the security outcome as the valuable one (from prior context in the text). Thus, it is acceptable to simply note that the incidental outcome was sought for intentionally. A close concept is French would be the word 'accessoirement', but I don't know if 'accessorily' is in common use.

EDIT 2: on temporality

The concept of 'ulterior motive' proposed by Peter A. Schneider seems to work very well ('ulteriorly increased overall security'). Unfortunately, ulterior has another meaning: after something. Both effects are realised immediately. The same principle rules out 'consequently' from cobaltduck which otherwise would have been the best fit for me.

At this stage, I need to branch the question.

Scenario 1: the incidental outcome is a consequence of the realised, assumed outcome

In that scenario, both ulteriorly and consequently work. I have a slight preference for consequently in that context. As my example fits example 1 better, I'm accepting that answer:

The new policy was adopted by the company to simplify the handling of temp workers. It consequently increased overall security.

Scenario 2: the incidental outcome is a consequence of the change, not of the assumed outcome

The unrealised outcome is effective immediately, not as a conclusion over time of the realised outcome. The word I was looking for is 'coincidentally'. This contains incidentality, and removes the accidental aspect of the word by clarifying that both outcomes co-occur.

I find the notion that awareness of the coincidental outcome was not sought is a bit weakly represented. I could solve this by applying both 'ulteriorly' and 'coincidentally' to the second outcome. But let's keep it simple to digest. My sentence construction says the policy was 'adopted to', thus intent in the outcomes is clear as long as they're presented contiguously within the sentence:

The new policy was adopted by the company to simplify the handling of temp workers, and to coincidentally increase overall security.

I find that sentence remains concise and to the point, but is more precise. Thanks everyone for the help.

Improve this question
5
  • To clarify - are you looking for a word to modify increased? Since increased is a verb, aren't you looking for an adverb, not an adjective? Or are you looking for a word to modify security?
    – Lawrence
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 22:43
  • @Lawrence I've just bolded the words in my latest edit, which should clarify. I want to replace "incidentally" with a more fitting word.
    – Steve Dodier-Lazaro
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 22:44
  • In that case, why are you looking for an adjective (cf your question's title)? Note that consequently (see scenario 1) is an adverb.
    – Lawrence
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 22:45
  • @Lawrence yikes. I must confess I'm awful at grammar. You're right, it is an adverb. The best way I can describe what I'm looking for is: a word that flows within the existing sentence construction. So either an adverb or an adjective. Something that is compact.
    – Steve Dodier-Lazaro
    Commented Sep 7, 2016 at 10:08
  • surreptitiously?
    – Phil Sweet
    Commented Sep 7, 2016 at 18:48

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
1

This seems like a text-book example for the word consequently, from Merriam-Webster:

as a result : in view of the foregoing : accordingly

Fitting into your example:

The new policy was adopted by the company to simplify the handling of temp workers. It consequently increased overall security.

Improve this answer
1
  • This is what I would say. Besides, it's an adjective, unlike the other answers.
    – 54 69 6D
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 20:25
2

By-product

A by-product of the new policy regarding temporary workers was increased security in the office.

Improve this answer
1
  • I believe it's either byproduct or by-product.
    – michael.hor257k
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 18:28
1

One could call the effect which actually was to be achieved a "hidden agenda" (if it was really secret or at least non-obvious) or the "ulterior motive" (as opposed to the immediate effect, which was more obvious and possibly achieved earlier). "Agenda" focuses more on a strategic goal, while "motive" focuses on a reason somebody has for pursuing the effect.

Improve this answer
0

A side benefit.

Merriam-Webster:

something good that happens in addition to a main benefit or purpose

Improve this answer
0

secondary effect is neutral.

The new policy was adopted by the company to simplify the handling of temp workers. As a secondary effect, it also increased overall security.

or

A secondary effect was an increase in overall security.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .