coincide

verb

co·​in·​cide ˌkō-ən-ˈsīd  ˈkō-ən-ˌsīd 

coincided; coinciding

intransitive verb

1

a

: to occupy the same place in space or time

The base of the triangle coincides with one side of the square.

The heroic age of bridge construction coincided with the expansion of the railroads …

—Mario Salvadori

b

: to occupy exactly corresponding or equivalent positions on a scale or in a series

100° Celsius coincides with 212° Fahrenheit.

2

: to correspond in nature, character, or function

" … our sentiments coincided in every particular … "

—Jane Austen

3

: to be in accord or agreement : concur

She coincided with his views on most subjects.

Synonyms

• accompany
• attend
• coexist
• concur
• co-occur
• synchronize

Choose the Right Synonym for coincide

agree, concur, coincide mean to come into or be in harmony regarding a matter of opinion.

agree implies complete accord usually attained by discussion and adjustment of differences.

on some points we all can agree

concur often implies approval of someone else's statement or decision.

if my wife concurs, it's a deal

coincide, used more often of opinions, judgments, wishes, or interests than of people, implies total agreement.

their wishes coincide exactly with my desire

Examples of coincide in a Sentence

The goals of the business partners coincide.

the heaviest snowfall of the season coincided with the start of our weeklong ski vacation

Recent Examples on the Web

News of the lawsuit coincided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s announcing an investigation into Media Matters for possible fraudulent activity. —David Ingram, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023

Fatigue comes for footballers The 2022 Qatar World Cup was the first time the tournament was played in winter, forgoing its traditional June and July time slot that coincides with European football clubs taking their off-season break. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 20 Nov. 2023

This modern chapter coincides roughly with that of Málaga’s most famous son, Pablo Picasso, who was born in the city in 1881. —Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023

For one, Andre 3000’s turn toward flute music several years ago coincided with McQueen’s interest in the sound. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023

The latest from the Radiohead spin-off group fronted by that group’s singer Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood as featuring Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner will coincide with a series of UK and European headlining dates in March. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2023

The increase in mental health conditions coincided with severe disruptions of mental health services, many of which still exist today. —Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

His rise has coincided with a wave of attention and appreciation for Arabic music. —Danny Hajjar, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023

The thick disk might have existed before the main merger, but the thin disk coincided with the arrival of Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus, Xiang and Rix found. —WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin coincidere "to be identical in substance, agree in position," from Latin co- co- + incidere "to fall or drop (into), come by chance, chance to happen" — more at incident entry 1

First Known Use

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

coincide

verb

co·​in·​cide ˌkō-ən-ˈsīd 

coincided; coinciding

1

: to occupy the same place in space or time

2

: to occupy the same positions on a scale

3

: to agree exactly