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
Eclipse Vocabulary
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
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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:
School children are taking part in an event aimed at inspiring climate action, to coincide with the COP31 international climate conference in Turkey.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
One of the country's busiest routes, it was Spain's first high-speed line when it opened in 1992 to coincide with the Seville universal exposition.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Concerns about literacy’s decline coincide with every major change in communications technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The powerful Santa Anas will coincide with toasty temperatures of 85 to 95 degrees and low humidity rates of between 5% and 15% across much of the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Thus, the shift from hunting-gathering to food production did not always coincide with a shift from nomadism to sedentary living.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
That estimated timeline coincides with major changes in human history, including the domestication of livestock and the large-scale movement of sheep from the Eurasian steppe into Europe.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
Marklew is now trying to raise awareness of the disease, which coincides with World Neuroendocrine Cancer Day , externalon Tuesday.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
The meeting coincides with US-mediated talks with Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday on ending the Ukraine war, with Europe concerned Kyiv must not be forced to accept disadvantageous conditions.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
It also coincides with the museum’s presentation along New York Avenue of 10 more of her sculptures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Thus the centre of gravity of the earth still coincides with the centre of the universe, but its geometrical centre does not.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Three of the last four winters brought Southern California above-normal rain, and only one of them coincided with an El Niño.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026
However, new data suggests dormouse numbers increased between 2020-2025, a period that coincided with warmer springs and summers.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
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
An equity selloff coincided with an already “weak and vulnerable” gold market that was hovering just above its major July support level of $3,975, said Samuelson.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Amos Squire’s tenure at Sing Sing coincided with that of two of its most famous wardens, Thomas Mott Osborne and Lewis Lawes.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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
The program’s retirement trust fund is projected to exhaust its reserves in roughly six years — coinciding with each newly elected senator’s term.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 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
But something fascinating was happening behind the scenes, coinciding with the disaster that had sent Olin overseas and left her bandmates, Augustin and Nathan Slone — located in New York City — shocked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 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
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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.
