synchronicity
Americannoun
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(in the psychology of Carl Jung) the simultaneous occurrence of causally unrelated events and the belief that the simultaneity has meaning beyond mere coincidence.
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coincidence in time; contemporaneousness; simultaneity.
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Physics, Electricity. the state of having the same frequency and zero phase difference.
noun
Etymology
Origin of synchronicity
First recorded in 1865–70 synchronicity for def. 1; 1950–55 synchronicity for def. 2; synchron(ous) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )
Explanation
Ever step outside just as the sun comes out? Or pass by a street lamp at night, and it turns on at that moment, seemingly just for you? That's synchronicity, when things happen together, as if perfectly timed. If you're planning to lip-sync your next concert, you'll want to work on your synchronicity with your soundman. And speaking of music, if you're a rock-and-roll nerd, you're no doubt thinking of "Synchronicity," the megahit album by The Police, released in 1983. The term synchronicity was coined in the 1950s by the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, to describe uncanny coincidences that seem to be meaningful. The Greek roots are syn-, "together," and khronos, "time."
Vocabulary lists containing synchronicity
It's About Time: Chron and Temp
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Divergent
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The Marrow Thieves
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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.
They earned a US number one single with Every Breath You Take, taken from their fifth album, Synchronicity, in 1983.
From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025
The blockbuster album era began, as Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the Police's "Synchronicity" dominated the No. 1 slots on the U.S.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023
From there, Severin’s group emerged from a shortlist of three candidates that also included Seattle-based Synchronicity Events.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 12, 2022
At Synchronicity LA, they make art and cook meals together.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2016
Synchronicity + Serendipity = Karma, or at least a trail that seemed worth following.
From The Guardian • Jun. 25, 2016
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.
