coincidence

[ koh-in-si-duhns ]

noun

1. a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance:

   Our meeting in Venice was pure coincidence.

   Synonyms: fate, luck, accident

2. the condition or fact of coinciding.
3. an instance of this.

coincidence

/ kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns /

noun

1. a chance occurrence of events remarkable either for being simultaneous or for apparently being connected
2. the fact, condition, or state of coinciding
3. modifier electronics of or relating to a circuit that produces an output pulse only when both its input terminals receive pulses within a specified interval Compare anticoincidence

   coincidence gate

Other Words From

• nonco·inci·dence noun
• preco·inci·dence noun
• super·co·inci·dence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coincidence¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; coincid(ent) + -ence

Example Sentences

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is the nominee for attorney general which is quite a coincidence considering that he was entangled in a sex trafficking investigation by the DOJ, the department he’ll oversee should he land the job.

From Los Angeles Times

While it may seem like an odd coincidence for spacetime to follow an analogous engineering blueprint as the human body, Monjo argues this is perfectly logical.

From Salon

Adding that its results can be used to create a new unification scheme of quantum mechanics and gravity, Loeb said the deeper significance of the double helix structure isthat it “is simply a mathematical result that has nothing to do with biology. The fact that it appears here and in the human DNA is a remarkable coincidence.”

From Salon

It is perhaps not a coincidence that when Vi and Caitlyn finally consummate their relationship, the literal seduction is linked to Vi’s figurative succumbing to Caitlyn’s politics: She accepts the badge, with all of the raw emotion of a zealous new recruit to a supposedly noble cause.

From Salon

But those are the margins at the highest level, and there is no coincidence the best sides in the world manage to get over the line in similar circumstances.

From BBC

Related Words

• accident
• fate
• fluke
• happening