coincidental
Americanadjective
-
happening by or resulting from coincidence; by chance.
a coincidental meeting.
-
existing or occurring at the same time.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coincidental
First recorded in 1790–1800; coincident + -al 1
Explanation
Things that are coincidental take place at the same time, but there isn't any connection. It's just chance — a coincidence. Sometimes things seem connected because they happen at the same time, but they really aren't: they're just coincidental. A sports fan might have a lucky shirt he wears to bring his team luck. But, if his team wins, that's just coincidental. Shirts, unfortunately, don't influence game outcomes. Coincidental is the opposite of causal, which means one thing directly causing another to happen. When coincidental things happen — like a friend calls just when you were thinking of her — it's just luck or chance.
Vocabulary lists containing coincidental
Catching Fire
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Through My Eyes
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Every Soul a Star
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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.
Coincidental or not, the Brewers’ issues began immediately after they dealt Hader for pitchers Taylor Rogers and Dinelson Lamet, outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz and pitching prospect Robert Gasser.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 8, 2022
"Not so fast," said Maud, Roland, Blackadder, Val and the Coincidental Solicitor, as they discovered a last letter from Christabel that Ellen had concealed.
From The Guardian • Jul. 9, 2010
Coincidental result: the support of Colorado's powerful Eugene Millikin, along with other Senators from the five Colorado Basin states.
From Time Magazine Archive
Coincidental or not, the timing symbolized a foreign policy conundrum.
From Time Magazine Archive
Coincidental Hallucinations.—It would seem that, in well-nigh all countries and in all ages, apparitions of persons known to be in distant places have been occasionally observed.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 8 "Haller, Albrecht" to "Harmonium" by Various
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.
