coincide
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
The Big Tech layoffs coincide with the major hyperscaler’s AI spending plans plans of around $700 billion this year alone for data centers.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Something can be identical to something else, but must coincide with it; the words identical and coincide demand different prepositions.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
"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’s consistent with Summerset’s update last week and coincides with a stronger economic backdrop in New Zealand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The exhibition coincides with Oyer’s fifth portrait book release, which features selections from his extensive archive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Tuesday's verdict coincides with the start of a week of engagements in the UK for Prince Harry, starting with an event in London for the Invictus Games, his charity for injured military veterans.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 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
This collapse coincided with a period of major environmental disruption during the most recent glacial period of the late Pleistocene age.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Yet, after his arrival in Madrid coincided with back-to-back trophyless seasons for Real Madrid, he came into this World Cup with something to prove.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Unlike the long-term chart, the trend line is nearly flat and the R-squared is zero — showing that higher-carry trades this year have not consistently coincided with greater stock-market sensitivity.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
It has coincided with a withering heat wave in the eastern U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The launch of the carbon-14 project coincided with another round of anxious expectation about a Nobel Prize for Ernest Lawrence.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
E-bikes have risen in popularity in recent years, particularly among teenagers, coinciding with a rise in serious collisions, some involving death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
A theatrical film is also in the works, with a planned release date in the second half of 2028, coinciding with the Chipmunks’ 70th anniversary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Baroness Gray was speaking at a panel event organised by the Social Democratic and Labour Party exploring constitutional change, coinciding with the 10-year anniversary of Brexit.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Patel announced early Tuesday morning, coinciding with a leak of the news to Fox News, that the FBI had disrupted an alleged terror plot to attack last week’s UFC fight at the White House.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
