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

The subdued passenger volumes at Frankfurt Airport coincide with the opening of Terminal 3, which raises fixed costs, Wojahn says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

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

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

Modelling from the Met Office - released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the famous 1976 heatwave - suggests a similar event in 2056 could see temperatures reaching 41C in Wales.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

Ranofer timed his leaving to coincide with Heqet’s.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Lalka said the timing of Zuckerberg's manifesto coincides with rising anger over AI's impact on everything from jobs to the environment.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"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 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

“The challenges that come with marketing are broader, and the opportunity is bigger, and it all coincides with bringing on a world-class leader in DJ.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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

The controversies have coincided with the drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure loved and loathed in largely equal measure.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

That rising wealth has coincided with dramatic changes in the travel industry itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

After a 2024 surge in violence against bus drivers and on trains coincided with a significant drop in ridership, safety became a top priority for Metro leaders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

The latest strikes coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, where he met Trump at the White House and attended the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Iran hawk.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

McKusick’s research on the Lacks family coincided with the beginning of a new era of genetic research, in which the concept of risk to patients would change completely.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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

Global Citizen staged an all-star show in Central Park coinciding with the fixture.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

A coinciding pattern bringing monsoonal moisture to the area is expected to raise humidity as temperatures rise, which “will make the overall effect of the heat significantly worse,” Cohen said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 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