Concurrence

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Agreement or simultaneous occurrence of events happening at the same time
2. The situation of two or more parties expressing agreement or working together ; two or more events or conditions happening at exactly the same moment
3. Mutual consent or harmony between individuals or groups ; the happening of separate things in the same time frame

Etymology: "Concurrence" entered English from Old French "concurrence," which in turn comes from Latin "concurrere," meaning "to run together" or "to meet, come into conflict." The Latin verb combines "con-" ("together") with "currere" ("to run"), so the core image is of things running together toward one point. That literal sense of coming together persisted in the word's earliest English uses, where it could mean a meeting or coinciding of events or forces. The sense of agreement developed from this idea of converging. When two people or opinions run in the same direction and meet at one point, they concur, and the noun came to describe that shared conclusion. The same root gives us "concur" itself, along with "current" and "courier," all of which keep some trace of running.

Synonyms: agreement, accord, consensus

Antonyms: disagreement, conflict, dissent