coincidental

American  

[koh-in-si-den-tl] / koʊˌɪn sɪˈdɛn tl /

adjective

1. happening by or resulting from coincidence; by chance.

   a coincidental meeting.

2. existing or occurring at the same time.

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coincidental British  

/ kəʊˌɪnsɪˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or happening by a coincidence; fortuitous

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Other Word Forms

• coincidentally adverb
• coincidently adverb
• noncoincidental adjective
• noncoincidentally adverb
• uncoincidental adjective
• uncoincidentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of coincidental

First recorded in 1790–1800; coincident + -al ¹

Example Sentences

They’ll think it’s a little too coincidental that this would be a naturally occurring phenomenon, even though it was my own family legends that brought me to this work.

From Literature

What’s happening in the world isn’t a series of coincidental, unrelated events.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It was just purely coincidental he and I spent some quality time together on what would have been her 85th birthday. The stars had aligned," said Russell.

From BBC

It’s a gentle Hollywood satire — and any resemblance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, you know, coincidental.

From Los Angeles Times

While not all of the aforementioned players see awards as central to their mission — Black Bear leading with “Christy” is coincidental, for instance — being in contention can help fledgling distributors find their footing.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• circumstantial
• fortuitous
• incidental
• unintentional