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

This July 4, timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, came the White House report.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 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

Some officials believe AI can draw humanity closer to God, while others warn it could alienate individuals or coincide with biblical end times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

For certain wavelengths the crests of the waves reflected from one side of the soap film coincide with the troughs reflected from the other side.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Its premiere coincides with the “Reacher” finale drop, with Alan Ritchson showing up in her story to make a secure a hand-off.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

Bratenahl’s popularity coincides with a broader regional boom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“WTI is now testing the important $86.50-$88.50 region. This area has acted as resistance previously and also coincides with a long-term bearish trend line,” he told MarketWatch in emailed commentary on Tuesday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 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

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

They note that the biggest domestic declines this year coincided with the Winter Olympics and World Cup, while international viewing data suggest consistent growth with a substantial runway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

But they also noted that some of the drop-off this year coincided with the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Sullivan's full-time introduction to the Philadelphia Union team has coincided with a turnaround in their season, led by interim coach Richter, who took over before this post-World Cup run-in.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Turnover among executives and ownership gave him repeated openings to make wholesale changes, a shift that coincided with California’s drought crisis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 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

Additionally, this porchfest features a coinciding dog parade and a marketplace.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 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

The school redesigned its uniform for 2026-27, coinciding with new government rules limiting secondary schools to three branded items, plus a branded tie.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 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

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

Related Words

• concur
• correspond
• jibe