2
general::
coincidence
adjectives
sheer/pure coincidence
(= complete chance )
• It was pure coincidence that we were on the same plane.
mere coincidence
(= only chance and nothing else )
• Is it mere coincidence that they always seem to employ men?
a happy/lucky/fortunate coincidence
• It was just a happy coincidence that he was there too.
an unfortunate coincidence
• By a very unfortunate coincidence, she didn’t get either of his emails.
a strange/curious coincidence
• What a strange coincidence that you were both living in Bangkok at the same time.
a remarkable/amazing/extraordinary coincidence
• What an extraordinary coincidence meeting you here!
phrases
it is a coincidence that
• It was a remarkable coincidence that two people with the same name were staying at the hotel.
it is not a/no coincidence that
(= it is deliberate )
• It is no coincidence that the Government made the announcement today.
be more than (a) coincidence
(= there is some other explanation )
• When I saw him a third time, I realized it was more than just coincidence.
a string/series/set of coincidences
• The accident happened because of a string of unfortunate coincidences.
transnet.ir
3
general::
noun ADJ. complete, pure, sheer It was pure coincidence that they were both in Paris on the same day. | mere | happy What a happy coincidence to meet you at the airport just when I wanted to see you. | unfortunate, unhappy | amazing, curious, extraordinary, funny, incredible, odd, remarkable, strange, wonderful QUANT. series, set, string They met through a series of strange coincidences. COINCIDENCE + VERB happen Remarkable coincidences do happen in real life. PREP. by (a) ~ By coincidence, we both went to the same school. By an unfortunate coincidence, their house was burgled on the day he lost his job.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary