Definition of coincidentnext
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as in coinciding
occupying the same space a study to determine whether the areas with the highest family incomes were coincident with the locations boasting the highest percentage of college graduates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective coincident differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of coincident are coeval, contemporaneous, contemporary, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.

the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year

Where would coeval be a reasonable alternative to coincident?

The meanings of coeval and coincident largely overlap; however, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

When might contemporaneous be a better fit than coincident?

The words contemporaneous and coincident are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is it sensible to use contemporary instead of coincident?

While in some cases nearly identical to coincident, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When can simultaneous be used instead of coincident?

In some situations, the words simultaneous and coincident are roughly equivalent. However, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

When could synchronous be used to replace coincident?

While the synonyms synchronous and coincident are close in meaning, synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coincident Regional banks bounced a bit, still down a couple percent on the week, as Thursday’s flush lower amid a few separate but coincident credit hiccups exacerbated underlying unease with the opaque and possibly lax lending across private credit and among smaller commercial banks. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025 The coincident new Moon contributes no light pollution, making 2025 ideal for Orionid viewing. Big Think, 13 Oct. 2025 The timing of these changes were roughly coincident with clarification of Information Blocking rules and Epic’s introduction of its own competing product. Seth Joseph, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Approximately coincident with this article’s publication, Amazon blocked sales of the Flipper Zero and Brazil banned all imports of the device. Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for coincident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coincident
Adjective
  • The accompanying teaser video shows the duo in argyle sweaters posing for a studio portrait that resembles the poster for Step Brothers.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Despite returning to England, Harry and Meghan reportedly will retain their current status as non-working members of the royal family, free from the accompanying duties associated with those roles.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Chronic disease can lead to loss of weight and muscle, and unintentional weight loss can be a sign of an underlying medical problem.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The result strongly suggested meningitis—an inflammation around the brain and spinal cord often caused by bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens—yet a battery of tests failed to detect any underlying infection.
    Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • North Carolina is also home to synchronous fireflies, another bioluminescent species that lights up on land.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Satellites operating in sun-synchronous orbit receive steady solar energy, providing a consistent power source without depending on Earth’s electrical grid.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Nearly 80 years later, New Jersey remains a lone holdout, legally locking in thousands of attendant jobs.
    Jason Dressel, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Cyclosporiasis, and the attendant time burden for parents that comes with it, can be directly linked to recent pullbacks in the food safety system that has kept us safe for decades.
    Corinne Low, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The beta saw an all-time peak of 115,145 concurrent players on the first day.
    Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
  • York was found guilty, according to court documents, and was sentenced to concurrent one-day jail sentences for each misdemeanor.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Pennsylvania measles infections are approaching 500 cases, with two associated deaths reported in Lancaster County.
    Finch Walker, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Another search of Davis’ associated home turned up a Monte Carlo receipt for the time Shakur was killed.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • The storm name is coincidental following the death of country music singer Dolly Parton.
    Dylan Moriarty, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As for the preseason wins and losses themselves, any resemblance to the reality ahead is purely coincidental.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Coincident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coincident. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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