coincident

The adjective is borrowed from French coïncident, from Medieval Latin coincidentem,[1][2] an accusative singular form of Latin coincidēns (“coinciding”), the present active participle of coincidō (“to coincide”), from co- (variant of con- (prefix denoting a being or bringing together of several objects)) + incidō (“to fall into any condition”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d- (“to fall”)).

The noun is derived from the adjective.[1]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəʊˈɪnsɪd(ə)nt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /koʊˈɪnsəd(ə)nt/, /-ˌdɛnt/

• Audio (GA)

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• Hyphenation: co‧in‧cid‧ent

coincident (comparative more coincident, superlative most coincident)

1. Of two or more objects: being in the same location.
   • 1656, Thomas Hobbes, “Of Body and Accident”, in anonymous translator, Elements of Philosophy, the First Section, Concerning Body. […], London: […] R[obert] & W[illiam] Leybourn for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, part 2 (The First Grounds of Philosophy), paragraph 1, page 74:

     It is neceſſary therefore that this nevv created or replaced thing do not onely fill ſome part of the Space [i.e. “imaginary space”] above-mentioned, or be coincident and coextended vvith it, but alſo, that it have no dependance upon our thought.

   • 1660, Euclid, “Prop[osition] VIII”, in Isaac Barrow, transl., Euclide’s Elements; […], London: […] R[oger] Daniel, for William Nealand […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 13:

     [T]he ſides of the angles A and D are coincident; vvherefore thoſe angles are equall. VVhich vvas to be Dem[onstrated].

   • 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “[The Second Book of Opticks. Part II.] Remarks on the Foregoing Observations”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, page 39:

     [A]ll the Colours of the ſame Ring muſt be coincident, and by their mixture exhibit a vvhite Ring.

   • 1848 March, Edgar A[llan] Poe, Eureka: A Prose Poem, New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] P[almer] Putnam, of late firm of “Wiley & Putnam,” […], →OCLC, pages 27–28:

     Hitherto, the Universe of stars has always been considered as coincident with the Universe proper, as I have defined it in the commencement of this Discourse. It has always been either directly or indirectly assumed—at least since the dawn of intelligible Astronomy—that, were it possible for us to attain any given point in space, we should still find, on all sides of us, an interminable succession of stars.

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Chase—First Day”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 604:

     On each soft side [of the White Whale]—coincident with the parted swell, that but once leaving him, then flowed so wide away—on each bright side, the whale shed off enticings.

   • 1954, James Fisher, R. M. Lockley, “The North Atlantic Ocean: Its Structure and Its Sea-birds”, in Sea-Birds: An Introduction to the Natural History of the Sea-birds of the North Atlantic, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company […], →OCLC, page 4:

     The primary cause of the ocean currents, and of the prevailing winds which are associated with them, is the rotation of the earth. The plot of the Atlantic currents and Atlantic winds is almost, though not quite, coincident.

2. Of two or more events: occurring at the same time; contemporaneous.
   • a. 1728, Isaac Newton, “Of the Empire of the Persians”, in The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], and J[ohn] Osborn and T[homas] Longman […], published 1728, →OCLC, page 365:

     The 13th year of his [Darius II's] Reign vvas coincident in vvinter vvith the 20th of the Peloponneſian vvar, and the years of that vvar are ſtated by indiſputable characters, and agreed on by all Chronologers: the vvar began in ſpring, Ann[o] 1. Olymp[iad] 87, laſted 27 years, and ended Apr. 14. An. 4. Olymp. 93.

   • 1886 May, Thomas Hardy, chapter XIX, in The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, page 268:

     Whatever the origin of her walks on the Budmouth Road, her return from those walks was often coincident with Farfrae's emergence from Corn Street for a twenty minutes' blow on that rather windy highway―just to winnow the seeds and chaff out of him before sitting down to tea, as he said.

   • 1951, Hannah Arendt, “Antisemitism as an Outrage to Common Sense”, in The Origins of Totalitarianism (A Harvest/HBJ Book), new edition, San Diego, Calif., New York, N.Y.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, published 1973, →ISBN, part 1 (Antisemitism), page 4:

     General trends, like the coincident decline of the nation-state and the growth of antisemitism, can hardly ever be explained satisfactorily by one reason or by one cause alone.

   • 1989, David Foster Wallace, “Lyndon”, in Paula Geyh, Fred G[ifford] Leebron, Andrew Levy, editors, Postmodern American Fiction: A Norton Anthology, New York, N.Y.; London: W[illiam] W[arder] Norton & Company, published 1998, →ISBN, part IV (Revisiting History), page 380:

     Duverger's health declined. He seemed unable to shake the bronchitis and the coincident infections it opened him to.

3. Of two or more things: having the same qualities; being in accordance; consonant, matching.
   • 1610 October, John Foxe, “The Letter of Gregory to the Patriarch of Alexandria”, in Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book, marginal note, page 14, column 1:

     [A] biſhop is he to whomſoeuer the publike cure and charge of ſoules is committed, without any limitation of place. And ſo the name of biſhop is coincident with the office of apoſtle, or any publike paſtor, doctor, or curat of the vniuerſall flocke of Chriſt.

   • 1679, Robert South, “Sermon VI. Why Christ's Doctrine was Rejected by the Jews. John VII. 17..”, in Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], new edition, volume I, London: […] Thomas Tegg, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 100:

     For, say they, the whole doctrine of Christianity teaches nothing but what is perfectly suitable to, and coincident with, the ruling principles; that a virtuous and well-inclined man is acted by and with the main interest that he proposes to himself.

     The spelling has been modernized.

   • 1787, Ottobah Cugoano, Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species, […], London: [s.n.], published c. 1950?, →OCLC, page 4:

     As to any other laws that slave-holders may make among themselves, as respecting slaves, they can be of no better kind, nor give them any better character, than what is implied in the common report—that there may be some honesty among thieves. This may seem a harsh comparison, but the parallel is so coincident that, I must say, I can find no other way of expressing my Thoughts and Sentiments, without making use of some harsh words and comparisons against the carriers on of such abandoned wickedness.

     A modern typescript of the original without any imprint information.

4. (obsolete) Chiefly followed by to: accompanying, concomitant, incident.
   • 1648, Robert Herrick, “[Aphorisms.] CCXVII. Empires.”, in Hesperides: Or, The Works both Humane & Divine […], London: […] John Williams, and Francis Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Tho[mas] Hunt, […], →OCLC; republished as Henry G. Clarke, editor, Hesperides, or Works both Human and Divine, volume II, London: H. G. Clarke and Co., […], 1844, →OCLC, page 129:

     Empires of kings are now, and ever were / As Sallust saith, coincident to fear.

     The spelling has been modernized.

• coincidental (loosely)
• coinciding

• incoincident
• noncoincident

• coincidental
• coincidently
• incoincident
• noncoincident

• coincide
• coincidence

coincident (plural coincidents)

1. (obsolete) One of multiple incidents or things which coincide with each other; a concomitant.
   • a. 1639 (date written), Henry Wotton, “[Letters, &c. and Characters of Sundry Personages, […].] My Deare Nic. Pey.”, in Reliquiæ Wottonianæ. Or, A Collection of Lives, Letters, Poems; […], London: […] Thomas Maxey, for R[ichard] Marriot, G[abriel] Bedel, and T[imothy] Garthwait, published 1651, →OCLC, page 507:

     In truth, vve thought it (coming immediately from an infected place) an hazardous incivilitie, to put our ſelves upon them; for if any ſiniſter accident had fallen out about the ſame time (for Coincidents are not alvvaies Cauſes) vve ſhould have rued it for ever.

   • 1658 November 18 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Epistolary Correspondence.] To Edward Thurland, Esq.”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, part I, page 126:

     […] I despayre of ever living to see a man truely noble indeede: they may be called "My Lord;" titles and sounds and inferior trifles; but when Virtue and blood are coincidents, they both add lustre and mutual excellencys.

   • 1808 December 14, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “From the Same [letter from Coleridge to Humphry Davy]”, in Humphry Davy, edited by John Davy, Fragmentary Remains, Literary and Scientific, of Sir Humphry Davy, […], London: John Churchill, […], published 1858, →OCLC, page 106:

     When I was in London I was shocked at the alteration in our friend Tobin's looks and appearance. Those who always interpret two coincidents into cause and effect would surmise that marriage has been less conducive to his health than to his moral comfort. It would give me serious pleasure to have a more cheerful account of him.

• coincidence on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• nondeictic

coincident

1. third-person plural future active indicative of coincidō

Borrowed from French coïncident.

coincident m or n (feminine singular coincidentă, masculine plural coincidenți, feminine and neuter plural coincidente)

1. coincident