coincide
Formscoincides, coinciding, coincided
- 1To occur at the same time as another event.
Market downturns often coincide with periods of political uncertainty.
Her arrival coincided with the first snowfall of the year.
Similarconcur
- 2To correspond, concur, or agree with something else.
Their conclusions coincide, despite using very different methods.
The survey results coincided neatly with the team's earlier predictions.
Similaragree, concur, correspond, match, tally
Oppositediffer, diverge, conflict, disagree
Note
Concur shadows this verb across two meanings: it is a synonym both here and for the sense of happening at once, so agreeing and occurring together share a word twice over. Said of ideas, opinions or results, coincide leaves room to name the exceptions outright (our ideas coincide, except in certain areas). It stays intransitive, with a plural subject or with before the second party.
- 3To occupy exactly the same position in space.
Two lines coincide when every point on one lies on the other.
The map's grid coincided with the actual property boundaries.
Similaralign, overlap, match, correspond
Oppositediverge
Note
Here the Latin picture is closest to the surface. Coincide comes through French from Medieval Latin coincidere, built on cadere, "to fall", so things that coincide fall into the same place. The verb is intransitive. Either the subject is plural (the two squares coincide), or the second thing follows with (the grid coincided with the boundaries). The sense of happening together moves the same picture from space into time.
Practice
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Origin
From French coïncider, from Medieval Latin coincidere, made from con- ('together') plus incidere, itself from in- ('into, to') and cadere ('to fall, drop').