coincidental

[ koh-in-si-den-tl ]

adjective

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

   a coincidental meeting.

2. existing or occurring at the same time.

coincidental

/ kəʊˌɪnsɪˈdɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or happening by a coincidence; fortuitous

Other Words From

• co·inci·dental·ly co·in·ci·dent·ly [koh-, in, -si-d, uh, nt-lee], adverb
• nonco·inci·dental adjective
• nonco·inci·dental·ly adverb
• unco·inci·dental adjective
• unco·inci·dental·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of coincidental¹

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

Example Sentences

They may have been remembering events as more coincidental than they truly were.

From Science News For Students

So, the fact that the ad intercepts me, and I click on it, is just coincidental and it cannibalizes what would have been a free click on the organic search.

From Freakonomics

While the two efforts are not formally related, the timing is also not coincidental.

From MIT Technology Review

That it led to the Minnesota Twins making the World Series is purely coincidental.

From FiveThirtyEight

It’s unclear if the suspected “serious adverse reaction” was a result of receiving the vaccine or coincidental, but the person affected is expected to recover, according to STAT.

From MIT Technology Review

I hope I can be forgiven for finding this echo more than merely coincidental.

From The Daily Beast

This had the coincidental effect of filling the room to capacity for the preceding speaker, Rick Santorum.

From The Daily Beast

“When I met her we were talking how coincidental it was,” Williams tells The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

A source close to Zuckerberg has said the timing of the banns was purely coincidental, since the IPO date was a “moving target.”

From The Daily Beast

Note: Any connection between the castmembers of Jersey Shore and the definition of this term are purely coincidental.

From The Daily Beast

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

From Project Gutenberg

And that again the similarity in retouching to the upper right of Oswald's shoulder and head might be coincidental?

From Project Gutenberg

Vaccination has exceptionally been responsible for the disease, probably through some coincidental infection.

From Project Gutenberg

Any resemblance to persons living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

From Project Gutenberg

These are among the refinements of practice coincidental with the advance of the art.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• circumstantial
• fortuitous
• incidental
• unintentional