concomitancy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Rare / TechnicalFormal, Academic, Legal
Quick answer
What does “concomitancy” mean?
The state or fact of existing or occurring together with something else, especially in a subordinate or incidental way.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The state or fact of existing or occurring together with something else, especially in a subordinate or incidental way.
In philosophical or legal contexts, it can refer to a relationship of simultaneous occurrence or necessary connection, but without implying causation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries strong formal, academic, or archaic connotations.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. 'Concomitance' is the preferred and more frequent form.
Grammar
How to Use “concomitancy” in a Sentence
the concomitancy of X with YX in concomitancy with Yoccur in concomitancy withVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused.
Academic
Used in formal philosophy, theology, or legal history to discuss events or properties that exist together by necessity or definition.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
May appear in very specialised philosophical or medical texts discussing symptoms or properties that always appear together.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “concomitancy”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “concomitancy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “concomitancy”
- Using it in place of the more common 'consequence' or 'result'.
- Spelling errors: 'concomitancey', 'concomitence'.
- Using it in informal contexts where simpler words like 'along with' or 'together with' are appropriate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Concomitance' is the standard, much more frequent noun. 'Concomitancy' is an archaic or hyper-formal variant with identical meaning. For all practical purposes, use 'concomitance'.
No, that is a common misconception. It describes simultaneous occurrence or association, specifically without asserting that one thing causes the other.
No. It is a very rare, specialist term. In everyday or even general academic writing, words like 'co-occurrence', 'association', or simply 'occurring together with' are far better choices.
It is exclusively a noun. The related adjective is 'concomitant'.
The state or fact of existing or occurring together with something else, especially in a subordinate or incidental way.
Concomitancy is usually formal, academic, legal in register.
Concomitancy: in British English it is pronounced /kənˈkɒmɪt(ə)nsi/, and in American English it is pronounced /kənˈkɑːmɪtənsi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a COMpanion who comes CONcurrently with you. CON + COM(e) + IT + ANCY = the state of coming along with it.
Conceptual Metaphor
BEING TOGETHER IS ACCOMPANYING (The secondary phenomenon is a companion to the primary one).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'concomitancy' most appropriately used?