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.
And yet, the end of his career – with some cruel synchronicity – became a long, often painful, goodbye.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
It is one of those moments of universal synchronicity that changed the course of many lives, not just Auf der Maur’s.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
The members sit close together and play with the physical synchronicity of trained dancers.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2024
"So little can make such a big difference in conduction velocity and the synchronicity of the circuit."
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2024
They remained there, tucked into his memory, deep within a cave of abstract thoughts: information and ideas about pawns and squares to be used, discarded, or ignored—all in perfect cadence and synchronicity.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
