coincide
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to occupy the same place in space, the same point or period in time, or the same relative position.
The centers of concentric circles coincide. Our vacations coincided this year.
-
to correspond exactly, as in nature, character, etc..
His vocation coincides with his avocation.
-
to agree or concur, as in thought or opinion.
Their opinions always coincide.
- Antonyms:
- contradict, differ
verb
-
to occur or exist simultaneously
-
to be identical in nature, character, etc
-
to agree
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
coincidesimple
-
coincidessimple
-
have coincidedperfect
-
has coincidedperfect
-
am coincidingprogressive
-
are coincidingprogressive
-
is coincidingprogressive
-
have been coincidingperfect progressive
-
has been coincidingperfect progressive
Past
-
coincidedsimple
-
had coincidedperfect
-
was coincidingprogressive
-
were coincidingprogressive
-
had been coincidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of coincide
First recorded in 1635–45; from Medieval Latin coincidere, from Latin co- co- + incidere “to fall upon, befall” ( see incident)
Explanation
When things happen at the same time, they are said to coincide. Often, this is because they're intentionally coordinated — "the bake sale coincided with Parent Day" — but not always. Coincide can also mean happen together in other ways. "My mother's views on appropriate teen fashion do not always coincide with mine" is a tactful way to say she hates your clothes. You could also describe two roads coming together as coinciding — though it's more poetic to talk about when they diverge.
Vocabulary lists containing coincide
Eclipse Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Fed tightening cycles are negative for stocks when they start but usually coincide with robust returns over a longer time frame.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Harry's trip was also to coincide with the delivery of a judgement, expected Tuesday, in a case against Associated Newspapers, owner of the Daily Mail, over alleged unlawful information gathering.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
Still, those holidays do have the benefit of being either a single day or a collection of days that temporally coincide with winter’s existing holidays.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
His family and friends were at Trent Bridge on Sunday and perhaps his marathon spell across the afternoon was timed to coincide with the announcement.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
I, myself, had mixed emotions, for the concerns of a husband and a leader do not always coincide.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
"Given that the peak of this barrage coincides with a period of widespread cooling and major shifts in our biosphere, it is tempting to suggest that the former produced the latter," Bottke said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
That’s consistent with Summerset’s update last week and coincides with a stronger economic backdrop in New Zealand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
That the paper’s release coincides with summer vacation and, thus, a likely rise in screen time, is also significant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Her departure from Chelsea coincides with the arrival of Republic of Ireland international Katie McCabe, who joined from Arsenal.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Its boundary is called the event horizon and it coincides with the paths of light rays that just fail to escape from the black hole.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
A restaurant owner lost $20,000 in canceled catering contracts last summer, as sweeps across the county coincided with the summer celebration season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Yet, after his arrival in Madrid coincided with back-to-back trophyless seasons for Real Madrid, he came into this World Cup with something to prove.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
This period of relative stability from 1556 to 1658 coincided with the reigns of three consecutive emperors: Akbar, his son Jahangir and his grandson Shah Jahan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Unlike the long-term chart, the trend line is nearly flat and the R² is zero, showing that higher-carry trades this year have not consistently coincided with greater stock-market sensitivity.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
The great change in attitude of which Voltaire was a supreme philosophical weathervane coincided with a rapid reshaping of music after the deaths of Bach and Handel.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Patel announced early Tuesday morning, coinciding with a leak of the news to Fox News, that the FBI had disrupted an alleged terror plot to attack last week’s UFC fight at the White House.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026
The Google and Gemini parent’s cash call is coinciding with a modest pullback in the rally, with stock futures pointing to losses at the U.S. market open.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Yet the region hasn’t seen a coinciding reduction in the amount of area burned by wildfires or the rate at which people are exposed to fire danger, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
She says that in her experience the incidents had escalated in the past five years, coinciding with a increase in children with more complex additional support needs in mainstream schools.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
I hold up my drawing, showing the intricate plan I spent most of the morning working on, every detail perfectly accounted for and coinciding with a different person and a task.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
