as in concurrent
existing or occurring at the same period of time the synchronous arrival of a baby sister and loss of a beloved grandmother strongly affected the child

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the adjective synchronous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of synchronous are coeval, coincident, contemporaneous, contemporary, and simultaneous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

When can coeval be used instead of synchronous?

The words coeval and synchronous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

In what contexts can coincident take the place of synchronous?

The meanings of coincident and synchronous largely overlap; however, 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

When might contemporaneous be a better fit than synchronous?

In some situations, the words contemporaneous and synchronous are roughly equivalent. However, contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is it sensible to use contemporary instead of synchronous?

The synonyms contemporary and synchronous are sometimes interchangeable, but contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

Where would simultaneous be a reasonable alternative to synchronous?

Although the words simultaneous and synchronous have much in common, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

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 synchronous If the superintendent decides to have a second consecutive e-learning day, there will be synchronous instruction. Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025 The sheer number of DNA shifts that must have occurred in rapid succession to create this synchronous outcome also reflects the strong pressure horses were likely under to become fast and tireless. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2025 Schools will be closed and students will have a synchronous eLearning day from home, school district officials announced Monday afternoon. Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2025 This allows multisite synchronous and coherent RF recording, which is particularly important in multistatic radar research. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Sep. 2018 See All Example Sentences for synchronous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for synchronous
Adjective
  • Three years after winning the show in 2008, he was sentenced to four years in prison on a drug trafficking charge and a concurrent term of one year for failure to pay income taxes on his $500,000 Big Brother winnings, according to the United States Attorney's Office in Massachusetts.
    Adam England, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
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
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Beauty’s $1 billion acquisition this spring, underscoring Bieber’s simultaneous impact in beauty and fashion.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
  • To be fair to the group, the protest was at an early call time that was thrown together rather late; plus, Fabian said, some of his other activists were taking part in simultaneous protests targeting the government shutdown.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Synchronous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/synchronous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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