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 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 The tendency of policymakers to date has been to view the harms from internet platforms not as systemic, but as a series of coincident issues. Roger McNamee, Wired, 24 July 2021 Several of our hottest summers in the past decade have been coincident with developing La Niñas. Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2020 The researchers say the onset of rapid warming at the summit is coincident with a weakening and shifting in the polar vortex that began in the mid-1980s. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2013 See All Example Sentences for coincident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coincident
Adjective
  • In fact, an Iranian vessel sailed close to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, prompting an accompanying Navy destroyer to fire its 5-inch cannon, according to CBS News.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The bomb was large and the accompanying note indicated all the ways it couldn’t be disarmed.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is launching a Nighttime Firefly Experience inspired by the Smoky Mountains’ rare synchronous fireflies.
    Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Kairos can deliver up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of payload to sun-synchronous orbit, according to Space One.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • And sometimes what appears to be depression has a different underlying medical driver.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
  • The structure, called a conservative matrix field, or CMF, acts as a kind of mathematical common ancestor, showing how formulas that look nothing alike turn out to be different expressions of the same underlying object.
    Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Disney+, however, supports four concurrent streams.
    Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Prosecutors are recommending concurrent sentences of life without parole on both counts.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Madrid continue to cite the completion of works at the Bernabeu as key to club finances, and the attendant extra revenue that will bring.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The museum shuttered in 2007, with Palazzo Lucarini Contemporary taking over its space, while the Prague Biennale and attendant exhibitions ceased operations after its 2013 edition.
    News Desk, Artforum, 3 Mar. 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
  • With a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-Shape design, the Kaiser 2 can accommodate a weight up to 180kg, quite a bit more than normal mechanisms on office chairs and the back can be reclined to an angle of 160 degrees which can be locked when not in rocking mode.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
Adjective
  • Due to Western sanctions and associated risks, China has been the biggest buyer of Iranian oil.
    Sheikh Saaliq, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Back then, the WWJ-TV call letters were used by Detroit's NBC 4, now WDIV-TV, while the associated radio station, though later purchased by CBS, was owned by Scripps and affiliated with NBC Radio.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • This, surely, was not coincidental — these, plus the quarterfinals and round of 16, are the games that account for huge chunks of lottery entries and interest, even at FIFA’s prices.
    Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
  • TxDOT spokesman Brad Wheelis told the American-Statesman on Wednesday that the timing of the repairs is coincidental and was not accelerated in response to the viral posts.
    Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Coincident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coincident. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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