Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

coincidence

noun co·in·ci·dence \ kō-ˈin(t)-sə-dən(t)s , -sə-ˌden(t)s \
|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018
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

See coincidence defined for English-language learners

See coincidence defined for kids

Examples of coincidence in a Sentence

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

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

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

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

  5. a series of strange coincidences

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

  7. Scientists have no explanation for the coincidence of these phenomena.

Recent Examples of coincidence from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coincidence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of coincidence

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

coincidence Synonyms

Synonyms

coexistence, concurrence, concurrency;

Near Antonyms

asynchrony (or asynchronism);

Related Words

development, happening, occurrence;

contemporaneousness, simultaneousness, synchronism, synchrony;

COINCIDENCE Defined for English Language Learners

coincidence

noun

  • : a situation in which events happen at the same time in a way that is not planned or expected

  • : the occurrence of two or more things at the same time

  • : the state of two or more things being the same

COINCIDENCE Defined for Kids

coincidence

noun co·in·ci·dence \ kō-ˈin-sə-dəns \
1 : a situation in which things happen at the same time without planning
  • It was a coincidence that we chose the same week for vacation.
2 : a condition of coming together in space or time
  • The coincidence of the two events was eerie.

Learn More about coincidence

  1. See words that rhyme with coincidence Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for coincidence Spanish Central: Translation of coincidence Nglish: Translation of coincidence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of coincidence for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up coincidence? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

declivity

play

a downward inclination or slope

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. socialism 'a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government'

  2. uphold 'to let stand'

  3. due process 'a course of formal proceedings (as judicial proceedings)'

  4. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  5. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

coincidence

Test Your Vocabulary

Obscure Shapes

  • a-pile-of-three-dimensional-shapes-in-green
  • Something that is ooid is shaped like:
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Syn City

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games