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coincidental

C2
Uncommon

Pronunciation

UK

  • /kəʊˌɪnsɪdˈɛntəl/

US

  • /koʊˌɪnsəˈdɛntəl/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. happening by chance rather than by plan or causal connection

Beyond the definition

Something coincidental happens by pure luck or chance—it's not planned or caused by anything deliberate. Imagine running into an old friend you haven't seen in years while traveling across the country! That would be a truly coincidental meeting. It doesn't mean one event caused the other, just that they happened at the same time unexpectedly. A detective might dismiss a clue as merely "coincidental" if it seems like a random occurrence that isn't relevant to their case.

Think of it like two puzzle pieces falling together randomly—there's no design behind it, just a happy (or sometimes unsettling) accident! It's different from being intentional or purposeful.

Examples

  1. 1

    Chance meeting

    We ended up on the same train, but it was purely coincidental.

  2. 2

    Design similarity

    The similarity between the two logos was coincidental, not copied.

  3. 3

    Misleading timing

    Her call felt coincidental at first, but she had actually seen my message.

  4. 4

    Suspected connection

    It is hardly coincidental that the problem started right after the update.

    • Phrasehardly coincidental

      probably connected, not just by chance

More examples
  1. 5

    News timing

    Reporters questioned the coincidental timing of his resignation.

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Do not confuse

Used with (collocations)

  • purely coincidental
  • entirely coincidental
  • a coincidental resemblance
  • not merely coincidental

Word family

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Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • coincidentaladjective