1 coincidental | Definition of coincidental

coincidental

adjective
coĀ·​inĀ·​ciĀ·​denĀ·​tal | \ (ˌ)kō-ˌin(t)-sə-ˈden-tᵊl How to pronounce coincidental (audio) \

Definition of coincidental

1 : resulting from a coincidence a coincidental resemblance
2 : occurring or existing at the same time coincidental deaths

Keep scrolling for more

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

Despite the disappointment, Bellisario did enjoy a coincidental parallel to her Pretty Little Liars days. Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "Troian Bellisario on Her New Film, 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette'," 14 Aug. 2019 To me the religion or the head gear is merely coincidental. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Attack on civilian employee of Baltimore police captured on video," 27 July 2019 The timing of the launch was coincidental with the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. William Harwood, CBS News, "Crew to make six-hour flight to International Space Station on Apollo 11 anniversary," 20 July 2019 The timing was coincidental, but Torres, who is gay and Afro-Latino, could relate to Trump’s targets. Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker, "Ritchie Torres, Another Young Bronx Progressive, Launches a Run for Congress," 27 July 2019 The blue of the new work thus seems referential, and poignant, even if reference was coincidental. Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "The new Melania Trump statue in Slovenia as interpreted by art experts," 21 July 2019 The timing of the papers’ digitization with the resurgence of Woodrow Wilson interest was expedient, if a bit coincidental. Kate Keller, Smithsonian, "Woodrow Wilson’s Papers Go Digital, Leaving Microfiche Behind," 9 June 2018 In a coincidental connection to the land’s later service to the mentally ill, the area was named in the 1660s after Elizabeth of Hungary, a 13th-century Roman Catholic saint who was canonized for her devotion to the poor and sick. John Kelly, Washington Post, "Why St. Elizabeth? More musing on Washington’s hospital for the mentally ill.," 6 July 2019 Mougeolle says the timing of the legal action, just days after Macron caved on the fuel tax, was coincidental; Mougeolle’s organization, too, has reservations about the distributional impact of such a tax, at least as currently designed. Catherine Rampell, The Denver Post, "Rampell: France’s carbon tax was a disaster, but there might be a less politically fraught way," 23 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coincidental.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of coincidental

circa 1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for coincidental

coincident + -al entry 1

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for coincidental

coincidental

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of coincidental

: happening because of a coincidence : not planned

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on coincidental

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with coincidental

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for coincidental

Spanish Central: Translation of coincidental

Nglish: Translation of coincidental for Spanish Speakers