coincide
Americanverb (used without object)
-
coincides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
coincided,
past participle, past
-
coinciding
present participle
-
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
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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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:
Mr. Jones suggests that James’s religious upbringing and immersion in medieval thought persuaded him that the dead exist in the spiritual realm, which might at times coincide with material reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
These could coincide with the bodies, all but five of which remained unidentified.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Should they coincide with strong winter storms, coastal erosion, flooding and damage are likely, according to Reinhard Flick, a researcher at the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Instead, the surprising finding is that increasing one form appears to coincide with a reduction in the other.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
After October 12, 2004, in fact, 2 Lamat and 11 Yax will not coincide again for another 18,980 days, about fifty-two years.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The trip also coincides with a mounting controversy over disability benefits in Argentina, under debate ahead of the 2027 budget.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
One is monetary: Loose money tends to encourage the kind of credit mania that’s especially dangerous when it coincides with a technological revolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
His latest call coincides with a comeback for Magnificent 7 stocks after a struggle for those earlier this year.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
His performance coincides with the 50th anniversary of him winning a poetry competition aged 12, which he said had changed his life.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The transition roughly coincides with the transition between dry and wet seasons—the time when the Milky Way releases life-giving water to Pacha Mama, Mother Earth—and divides the heavens into four quar- ters.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The youth-led protests earlier in the day took place in a mostly peaceful and festive atmosphere, with some dressed in outfits ranging from dinosaurs to Batman as the demonstrations coincided with Halloween.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Lula's third term coincided with the return to office of Trump.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
But Magyar knew a majority of passengers on a recent sailing were from Texas and wouldn’t welcome a party that coincided with football games featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
His move toward a more private existence also coincided with the end of another major chapter in his real estate portfolio: his decadeslong ownership of an impressive Brentwood estate.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
So when he received Dick’s invitation, and realized that the date Dick proposed for his coming to Kansas more or less coincided with the time of Willie-Jay’s release, he knew what he must do.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
France on Saturday braced for a third weekend of protests coinciding with Halloween, as shops boarded up and authorities scrambled to prevent a repeat of the street violence that swept the country two weeks ago.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Additionally, this porchfest features a coinciding dog parade and a marketplace.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
It comes as the head of the RAF said the UK faced "unprecedented threats" from adversaries in space, coinciding with the creation of a new RAF unit set up to defend Britain's satellites.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The coast is dangerous this week because high tides — which peak in the evening — are coinciding with a southerly swell, Black said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
