as in concurrent
existing or occurring at the same period of time the synchronous arrival of a baby sister and loss of a beloved grandmother strongly affected the child

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective synchronous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of synchronous are coeval, coincident, contemporaneous, contemporary, and simultaneous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

When can coeval be used instead of synchronous?

The words coeval and synchronous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

In what contexts can coincident take the place of synchronous?

The meanings of coincident and synchronous largely overlap; however, coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.

the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year

When might contemporaneous be a better fit than synchronous?

In some situations, the words contemporaneous and synchronous are roughly equivalent. However, contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is it sensible to use contemporary instead of synchronous?

The synonyms contemporary and synchronous are sometimes interchangeable, but contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

Where would simultaneous be a reasonable alternative to synchronous?

Although the words simultaneous and synchronous have much in common, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of synchronous In today’s working world, synchronous time is at a premium. Anu Bharadwaj, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2024 Only one, Henry, required a synchronous video conference. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 12 July 2024 Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is a hotspot to see thousands of synchronous fireflies, the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 4 June 2024 So far, the incidence of the disease has not been synchronous. Carmen Reinhart, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2020 See all Example Sentences for synchronous 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for synchronous
Adjective
  • The event peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, with 38 million concurrent streams in the US.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
  • Of that tally, 38 million concurrent streams came from the US.
    Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • With a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-Shape design, the Kaiser 2 can accommodate a weight up to 180kg, quite a bit more than normal mechanisms on office chairs and the back can be reclined to an angle of 160 degrees which can be locked when not in rocking mode.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • The timing of these changes were roughly coincident with clarification of Information Blocking rules and Epic’s introduction of its own competing product.
    Seth Joseph, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
  • Another suggestion is that there were two more or less coincident eruptions, one each in northern and southern hemispheres.
    Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2011
Adjective
  • Like those two office suites, Apple's productivity apps offer simultaneous co-editing with multiple authors, thanks to iCloud syncing.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Many of the starry, simultaneous campaign events will be featured as part of a national livestream show Monday night airing from the seven battleground states, a senior Harris campaign official said Saturday.
    Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near synchronous

Cite this Entry

“Synchronous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/synchronous. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!