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

The expansion of these games coincides with the development of the Global Markets Program, which has 25 teams participating spanning 19 international markets. —Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 5 Oct. 2024

These High Holy Days coincide with the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and Israel is gearing up an offensive against Iran following Tuesday’s bombing in Tel Aviv and the central part of the country. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2024

To complicate matters, an oil supply crunch could coincide with a surge in demand, given rate cuts in the U.S. and China’s new efforts to use stimulus to kickstart its weak economy. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024

The reveal coincides with Opening Night Live, the last big video game event of the summer hosted by video game hype meister Geoff Keighley. —Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2024

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