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coincide vs separate

Coincide and separate are opposites. Coincide is for two independent things to occupy the same point or happen at the same time. Separate is to move or keep things apart, or to be distinct and unconnected. Coincide brings two things to one shared point; separate holds them apart.

Quick rule
two independent things share the same point or time→coincide
move things apart, or keep them distinct→separate
coincide

Fig. 1a — coincide.

/ˌkoʊɪnˈsaɪd//ˌkəʊɪnˈsaɪd/·verb
vs
separate

Fig. 1b — separate.

/ˈsepəreɪt//ˈsepəreɪt/·verb, adjective

One brings two things to a single point; the other holds them apart. Coincide, from co- 'together' and incidere 'to fall upon', means two things fall on the same spot or moment. Separate, from Latin separare 'to part', moves things away from each other or keeps them distinct. Two dates coincide; two funds are kept separate. One converges two things on a point; the other insists on the space between them.

01What each means

coincide

To coincide is to occupy the same point — in time, space, or opinion — while belonging to different paths. From the Latin co-incidere, 'to fall upon together'. Festivals coincide with full moons; an interview coincides with a strike; two rivals' interests briefly coincide. The word insists on independence: neither schedule bent for the other, which is exactly what makes coincidence feel like fate — two orbits, each obeying only itself, agreeing on a single moment.

separate

To separate is to move things apart or to keep them apart — you separate two fighters, separate the yolk from the white, separate a class into groups. From the Latin separare, 'to disjoin'. Where you divide a whole into parts, to separate more often pulls already-distinct things away from each other, or sorts a mixture. As an adjective — and pronounced differently — separate means distinct or unconnected: three separate rooms, a separate issue. It is the quiet opposite of join.

02At a glance
coincideseparate
Meaningoccupy the same point or timemove or keep apart; be distinct
Directiontwo things to one pointapart, or held distinct
The resulttwo things meeting at a pointdistinct, with space between
Often withdates, events, lines, opinionsitems, groups, the yolk, the sexes
Nouncoincidenceseparation
ExampleThe dates coincide.Separate the two piles.
03How to remember

Ask whether two things meet at a point or are held apart. Coincide brings two things to the very same point or moment — two rings crossing at one spot. Separate pulls things apart or keeps them distinct — two magnets drawn to their own sides. If two things share a single point, they coincide; if they are moved apart or kept distinct, they are separate.

04In use

coincide

  • iHer visit happened to coincide with the festival.
  • iiThe two lines coincide at exactly one point.
  • iiiOur views on the matter largely coincide.

separate

  • iSeparate the ripe fruit from the unripe before packing.
  • iiThe two funds were kept separate.
  • iiiSeparate the yolks from the whites.

Coincide brings two things to a shared point; separate holds things apart or keeps them distinct. They oppose in direction — together at a point versus apart. Coincide can mean agreement (views coincide), the opposite of holding views separate. Watch separate's spelling — an 'a' in the middle.

05Asked
What is the difference between coincide and separate?
Coincide is for two independent things to occupy the same point or happen at the same time, while separate is to move or keep things apart, or to be distinct and unconnected. Coincide brings two things to one shared point; separate holds them apart. In the scenes above, two rings cross at a single shared point, whereas two clamped magnets are drawn apart until a clean gap opens.
Are coincide and separate opposites?
In direction, yes: coincide brings two things to the very same point, while separate holds them apart or keeps them distinct. The figurative uses about opinion also oppose — views coincide when they agree, while things kept separate stay distinct. One converges to a point, the other keeps a gap.
Is separate an adjective as well as a verb?
Yes, and the two are pronounced differently. The verb 'to separate' ends in a full '-ate' (SEP-uh-rayt) and means to part things; the adjective 'separate' has a reduced ending (SEP-rit) and means distinct ('two separate issues'). Coincide is only a verb, its noun being coincidence. So separate can name a state of distinctness, coincide a shared moment.
How do you spell separate correctly?
S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E — the tricky part is the middle 'a', not an 'e': think of 'a rat' hidden in sepARATe. It is one of the most misspelled words in English. Coincide has its own trap — the 'oa' and the '-sce' ending. Both reward a careful eye in exam writing.
What are the noun forms of coincide and separate?
Coincidence and separation. 'A coincidence' usually names a chance meeting of events; 'the separation of the two groups' or 'of powers' names a parting or keeping-apart. The nouns keep the directions opposite: a meeting at a point versus a holding-apart.
Which word fits two events on the same day?
Coincide. Two events on the same day coincide — they share a moment, like the rings meeting at one point in the scene above. Separate would mean holding things apart. The tell is direction: coincide brings two things to one point, separate keeps them distinct.
Which word fits keeping two accounts apart?
Separate. Two accounts are kept separate when they are held distinct, with a clear line between them, as the magnets stand apart in the scene above. Coincide would mean two things meeting at a point. The tell is direction: separate holds things apart, coincide brings them to a shared point.
Related
amalgamate vs separateblend vs separatecoalesce vs separatecoincide vs disperse
coincide — full entryseparate — full entry← All antonyms