coincidence
B2Neutral, common in both spoken and written language. Slightly more frequent in spoken narratives.
Definition
Meaning
A remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.
The fact of corresponding in nature, time, or position. Also used to describe something that happens by chance in a way that seems surprising or meaningful.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries a strong implication of chance or lack of planning. Can be used neutrally ('by coincidence') or to express surprise/significance ('What a coincidence!').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The term is used identically.
Connotations
Identical connotations of chance and unexpected alignment.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
by (pure/sheer) coincidenceIt is (just) a coincidence that...What a coincidence!coincidence of (interests/timing)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a coincidence of interests”
- “by happy coincidence”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to discuss unexpected market overlaps or unplanned synergies: 'The coincidence of our product launches was unfortunate.'
Academic
Used in statistics, history, and social sciences to describe non-causal correlations: 'The study controlled for mere coincidence in the data.'
Everyday
Common in conversation to note surprising simultaneous events: 'What a coincidence seeing you here!'
Technical
In physics/engineering, refers to events occurring at the same point in space or time, often in detection systems.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The two journeys coincided, leading to an awkward meeting.
- Our views seldom coincide on political matters.
American English
- Our vacations coincided, so we decided to travel together.
- Her testimony didn't coincide with the physical evidence.
adverb
British English
- The meetings were arranged coincidentally.
- Coincidentally, I was reading that same book last week.
American English
- We ran into each other coincidentally at the airport.
- Coincidentally, our cars are the same model and colour.
adjective
British English
- The coincident arrival of the post caused a delay.
- They held coincident opinions on the reform.
American English
- The coincident timing of the emails raised suspicions.
- Coincident factors led to the system's failure.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I saw my teacher at the shop. What a coincidence!
- By coincidence, we have the same birthday.
- It was just a coincidence that we chose the same restaurant.
- Meeting you here is a happy coincidence.
- The similarity in their stories was dismissed as pure coincidence.
- By a strange coincidence, the author died on the exact date he had predicted.
- The coincidence of these two independent trends created a market opportunity.
- Statisticians worked to determine whether the correlation was causal or merely coincidental.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of CO-INCIDENCE: two things falling into the same 'incident' or happening at the same time by CO-incident (shared) chance.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A TAPESTRY OF THREADS (where threads sometimes cross by chance).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'совпадение' in its logical/mathematical 'match' sense. 'Coincidence' is primarily about chance, not equivalence.
- Avoid directly translating phrases like 'by coincidence' as 'по совпадению' in formal writing; 'by chance' or 'accidentally' is often better.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'coincidence' to mean a planned or causal connection (e.g., 'The coincidence between his actions and his goals' → better: 'correlation' or 'alignment').
- Misspelling as 'coincidance' or 'coincidense'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'coincidence' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the term inherently carries a sense of unexpectedness or noteworthy chance. If an event is entirely expected, it is not typically called a coincidence.
Coincidence is about chance occurrences. Irony involves a contrast between expectation and reality, often with a humorous or poignant twist. They are different concepts, though people sometimes confuse them.
Not directly. The word describes the *appearance* of connection due to chance. However, people often use it when suspecting a hidden cause ('That's quite a coincidence...'), making it context-dependent.
It is neutral and acceptable in all registers, from casual conversation to academic writing, though more technical synonyms (e.g., 'stochastic concurrence') may be used in specific fields.