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coincidentally

coincidentally

60 4.9
In a way that happens by chance and is surprising
  • adverb
  • /ˌkoʊɪnˈsɪdntəli/
translation icon : casualmente
  • I ran into an old friend at the store, and coincidentally, we both had the same shopping list.
  • Perhaps coincidentally
  • coincidentally happened
  • coincidentally the same day

I was coincidentally out that day.

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Examples

  • Senator Rubio, coincidentally, is from Bakersfield.

  • Perhaps not coincidentally, around that time Canada entered into the business of offering incentives for R&D.

    Academic text (1999)
  • I was coincidentally out that day.

  • The last time was coincidentally the very last night we spent in that house.

  • And so coincidentally, my very first job ever was with that company.

  • Perhaps even he thinks we're only coincidentally riding the same train line.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • And I just found, I just recently found out, coincidentally, I was speaking to one of the experts that they had engaged on the case.

  • Well, coincidentally, I have a dope artist coming through tonight.

  • Last year I coincidentally noticed that if you ask Google for my cellphone number, it gave you an answer.

  • Coincidentally, his place is cleaned out, leaving no clues to what he's working on.

Synonyms

randomly
vscoincidentally
126 2.4

In a way that has no clear plan or order

is used for events that seem unexpectedly linked rather than patternless
by chance
vscoincidentally
66 2.3

Happening without planning or intending

is used when the event feels surprising or unusually connected in timing
fortuitously
vscoincidentally
  • Formal
4 7.5

By lucky chance when something happens unexpectedly

is used when an event is chance-based but not necessarily lucky
purely coincidental
vscoincidentally
3 5.1

Happening only by chance and not planned

is used when the event also seems surprising or strangely linked
serendipitously
vscoincidentally
2 7.7

In a way that happens by chance and brings a good result

is used for chance occurrences that may be surprising but not helpful
coincidently
vscoincidentally
4.3

Happening at the same time as something else

is used when being caused by chance or a surprising connection matters

Antonyms

320 3.7

To do something on purpose and with care

155 3.1

In a way that someone does something on purpose, not by accident

How Connected

intentionally
155 3.1
incidentally
24 4.2
coincidentally
60 4.9
independently
121 2.9

Surface Forms

coincidentally positive
coincidentally comparative
coincidentally superlative

Morphology

coincidentally = coincidental (semi-transparent) = co + incident + dent + ally

The word 'coincidental' is derived from 'co-' and 'incident', but the adverbial form 'coincidentally' may not be immediately clear to learners.

Etymology

Coincidentally comes from the parts co- meaning 'together' and incident meaning an 'event' or 'happening'. So, when something happens coincidentally, it is an event that happens 'together' with another by chance or in an unexpected way.