coincide

American  

[koh-in-sahyd] / ˌkoʊ ɪnˈsaɪd /

verb (used without object)

• coincides,
  present (3rd person singular)
• coincided,
  past participle,  past
• coinciding
  present participle

1. 

   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.

2. to correspond exactly, as in nature, character, etc..

   His vocation coincides with his avocation.

3. to agree or concur, as in thought or opinion.

   Their opinions always coincide.

   Synonyms:

   square, jibe, tally, match, correspond, accord

   Antonyms:

   contradict, differ

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coincide British  

/ ˌkəʊɪnˈsaɪd /

verb

1. to occur or exist simultaneously

2. to be identical in nature, character, etc

3. to agree

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• uncoincided
  adjective
• uncoinciding
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• coinciding
  present
• coincided
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• coincide
  simple
• coincides
  simple
• have coincided
  perfect
• has coincided
  perfect
• am coinciding
  progressive
• are coinciding
  progressive
• is coinciding
  progressive
• have been coinciding
  perfect progressive
• has been coinciding
  perfect progressive

Past

• coincided
  simple
• had coincided
  perfect
• was coinciding
  progressive
• were coinciding
  progressive
• had been coinciding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will coincide
  simple
• will have coincided
  perfect
• will be coinciding
  progressive
• will have been coinciding
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coincide coincides coincided coinciding

Ben Wood, chief analyst at technology research firm FDM, said it was likely Ternus's promotion was timed specifically "to coincide with what will be arguably one of the biggest iPhone launches for many years".

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

That’s because the looming mammoth IPOs of Anthropic, OpenAI, and others, may coincide with a calendar-based mutual fund tax strategy to encourage additional selling of poor performers.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026

Should they coincide with winter storms, coastal erosion, flooding and damage are likely, Flick said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

The slowdowns next week will coincide with annual air-raid drills—meaning residents in affected areas should be indoors, with unfettered Wi-Fi.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

The religious holidays to which the exams coincide are observed by many of our students.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Tying a bow on all this is the news that its BritBox debut on Tuesday, Sept. 15, coincides with Christie’s birthday and the traditional day-after-Emmys launch of the fall season.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

I think it also coincides with Peter’s legacy: The team is in a great place, the city is in a great place.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

The visit coincides with the 35th anniversary of the country's independence from the Soviet Union.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

A sustained increase in commercial inventories could limit some of the momentum from geopolitical risks, particularly if it coincides with signs of slowing fuel consumption in the coming weeks, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 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 demonstration coincided with the 200-day milestone of the war and the anniversary of the 2022 death of a woman in Iranian police custody.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The repricing has coincided with a sharp strengthening of the Japanese yen across currency markets.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

Remember how Ted’s inability to get over Michelle in previous seasons coincided with the very public, acrimonious conflict between the show’s star and his ex?

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

Gomes also pushed back on the assumption that Ohtani’s struggles at the plate are connected to his physical ailments, even though the two have coincided.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Probably the closest I ever got to a spiritual sort of experience was during my mom’s O Brother period, which coincided with me being about eight or nine years old.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

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

The rise in apartment demand is coinciding with a decline in the number of units available to rent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

The allegations have unfolded during a period of exceptional pressure on the ICC, coinciding with wider political tensions.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Over the years, the S&P 500 and the cross-currency basis swap have moved in lockstep on multiple occasions, with periods of strong hedging demand coinciding with falling U.S. equity prices as liquidity shifted.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

I felt like the centre of a small circle coinciding with the centre of a much larger one.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

• concur
• correspond
• jibe