coincidence

noun

co·​in·​ci·​dence kō-ˈin(t)-sə-dən(t)s 

-sə-ˌden(t)s

1

: the act or condition of coinciding : correspondence

… a perfect coincidence between truth and goodness …

—Robert South

2

: the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection

… causal connection requires something more than mere coincidence as to time and place …

—Wayne R. LaFave

also : any of these occurrences

Synonyms

• coexistence
• concurrence
• concurrency

Examples of coincidence in a Sentence

It was mere coincidence that brought them together so far from Chicago.

By coincidence, every man in the room was named Fred.

“I'm going to Boston this weekend.” “What a coincidence! I am too.”

It was no coincidence that he quit his job at the bank a day after the robbery.

a series of strange coincidences

By a fortunate coincidence, we arrived at the theater at the same time.

Scientists have no explanation for the coincidence of these phenomena.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Nikki Battiste: Is that coincidence, is there a reason for that? —Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2023

The seasonality of these effects may not be a coincidence, Gulson-Castillo says, but rather a reflection of a younger, less-savvy migratory population in the fall. —Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023

And the park, known as the Ten Mile River Playground, was located in Harlem, a predominantly Black neighborhood — a fact that seemed to many to be beyond coincidence. —Claire Fahy, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023

The near-simultaneous news that OpenAI has registered the first federal lobbyists to represent its interests in Washington made interesting coincidence. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023

The timing of the fire turned out to be no coincidence. —Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023

Another coincidence: Both schools sold about 16,000 season tickets the first year in their new venues. —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023

Responding to the story, the DeSantis administration called the change a coincidence and the result of an overhaul of the website. —Will Steakin, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2023

Phil, the quieter of the pair, chalks it up to pure coincidence. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin coincidentia, derivative of coincident-, coincidens, present participle of coincidere "to agree in nature, coincide"

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

coincidence

noun

co·​in·​ci·​dence kō-ˈin(t)-səd-ən(t)s 

1

: the act or condition of coinciding

2

a

: two things that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection

b

: either one of these happenings