coincidence
Americannoun
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a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance.
Our meeting in Venice was pure coincidence.
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the condition or fact of coinciding.
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an instance of this.
noun
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a chance occurrence of events remarkable either for being simultaneous or for apparently being connected
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the fact, condition, or state of coinciding
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(modifier) electronics of or relating to a circuit that produces an output pulse only when both its input terminals receive pulses within a specified interval Compare anticoincidence
coincidence gate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of coincidence
First recorded in 1595–1605; coincid(ent) + -ence
Explanation
People love to talk about strange coincidences––like you and your mother having the same birthday, or two unrelated families named "The Martins" living next door to each other. A coincidence is something that's not planned or arranged but seems like it is. Technically, a coincidence is an occurrence of events that happen at the same time by total accident––like you and a kid from your class at school both visit the Grand Canyon on the same day. Weird. If some guy is stalking you, always running into you wherever you go, this is not a coincidence. That guy has memorized your schedule.
Vocabulary lists containing coincidence
Wonder
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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Twelve Angry Men
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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:
These approaches can require complicated equipment, precise alignment, angular measurements, or coincidence detection.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
It's no coincidence they are all German, as the country is known for its Packaging Valley, external, a hub for the packaging industry.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The two events converged in a coincidence of summer timing, and not only because they reflect ancient and modern cultural divergences among the peoples who are the heirs to a common classical heritage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
He added it was a "strange coincidence" China's missile tracking ship, Yuan Wang 5, was in port in Fiji when the missile was fired.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
It couldn’t be a coincidence that the arrows showed him the way to the locked room, and then sparks of the same color appeared in his pack.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Wright gave evidence, arguing many of the prosecution's arguments were coincidences.
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
That enigmatic response got the team at the brokerage Baird to look for coincidences between Dorsey and Satoshi.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 25, 2025
All the coincidences and conflicts are conjured up, per the necessities of a quick-cooking holiday love affair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Most people would accept that in their own lives, accidents and coincidences happen, and some things really are just as they seem.
From Salon ● May 7, 2025
“That’s fate! It’s like you were meant to be friends! There are no coincidences, Virgil Salinas.”
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
