coincidence

noun co·in·ci·dence \ kō-ˈin(t)-sə-dən(t)s , -sə-ˌden(t)s \

Updated on: 19 May 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

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.

Recent Examples of coincidence from the Web

The timing — which U.S. officials insisted was a coincidence — suggested that the cash could be viewed as a ransom payment.

— salvador rizzo, Washington Post, "Fact-checking President Trump’s reasons for leaving the Iran nuclear deal," 9 May 2018
If that's a coincidence, Bob Baffert is in the wrong business.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "When favorites like Justify win, so does everyone else involved," 7 May 2018
At the end of the clip, a large bee flutters across the screen and then out of frame—and that's not a coincidence.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Ariana Grande Made a Subtle Reference to Manchester in Her New Music Video," 20 Apr. 2018
She and Clinton said the meeting was a coincidence.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Loretta Lynch talks to Lester Holt before Comey book release," 7 Apr. 2018
And while the official says the timing is purely a coincidence, Obama plans to address the issue in the State of the Union tomorrow night.

— Newsweek, "Analysis," 14 Mar. 2018
Still, seeing three rookies start in front can’t simply be a coincidence.

— jim ayello, USA TODAY Sports, "Robert Wickens wins St. Petersburg pole in impressive showing for IndyCar rookies," 10 Mar. 2018
Still, seeing three rookies start in front can’t simply be a coincidence.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "IndyCar: Rookies have big day, may have bigger advantage at Grand Prix of St. Petersburg," 10 Mar. 2018
That a reckoning arrived as soon as the story reached the mainstream consciousness did not seem like a coincidence.

— alex putterman, The Atlantic, "The Sex-Abuse Victims America Ignored," 24 Jan. 2018

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"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1605

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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coincidence Synonyms

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

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

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