coincidental

adjective

co·​in·​ci·​den·​tal (ˌ)kō-ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce coincidental (audio)
Synonyms of coincidentalnext
1
: resulting from a coincidence
a coincidental resemblance
2
: occurring or existing at the same time
coincidental deaths

Synonyms of coincidental

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Examples of coincidental in a Sentence

The fact that he and his boss went to the same college was purely coincidental. the nearly coincidental deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ultimately, GLP-1s are turning out to be metabolic and inflammatory drugs that happen to cause weight loss, rather than weight loss drugs with a long list of coincidental improvements. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Part of this is coincidental; cultural norms and infant survival rates changed dramatically over the course of the twentieth century. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 Furthermore, a lot of astronomy is conducted around the hydrogen frequency, so there's a good chance of a coincidental SETI detection. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The men’s and women’s national teams have had different experiences within their federation, but their emerging epoch is not coincidental. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for coincidental

Word History

Etymology

coincident + -al entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coincidental was circa 1800

Rhymes for coincidental

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Coincidental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coincidental. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

coincidental

adjective
co·​in·​ci·​den·​tal (ˌ)kō-ˌin(t)-sə-ˈdent-ᵊl How to pronounce coincidental (audio)
1
: resulting from a coincidence
a coincidental resemblance
2
: occurring or existing at the same time
coincidentally
-ˈdent-lē, 
-ᵊl-ē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on coincidental

Nglish: Translation of coincidental for Spanish Speakers

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