coincidence
nounUK /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/ · CA, US /koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/
Etymology From Middle French coincidence (French coïncidence). By surface analysis, coincide + -ence.
1
Of objects, the property of being coincident; occurring at the same time or place.
2
Of events, the appearance of a meaningful connection when there is none.
- That the two writers were born and died on the same day is just a coincidence, although there are many conspiracy theories about it.
- It is sheer coincidence that the cartoon resembles the local politician.
3
Mathematical analysis, Mathematics, Sciences A coincidence point.
4
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences A fixed point of a correspondence; a point of a variety corresponding to itself under a correspondence.
- Synonyms
- concurrentness, synchronicity, coincidence point
- Derived terms
- anthropic coincidence, anticoincidence, cohencidence, cohencidental, coincidence method, coincidence point, coincidence technique, coincidence theorist, coincidence theory, coinkydink, divine coincidence, incoincidence, index of coincidence, Lefschetz coincidence theorem, noncoincidence
- Related terms
- coincide, coincident, coincidental, coincidentally