serendipity

[ser-uhn-dip-i-tee]

noun

plural

serendipities 

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

2. accidental discovery, or an instance of this.

   Alton’s premiere novel was a serendipity that affected my thinking in the most positive way.

3. good fortune; luck.

   What serendipity—she got the first job she applied for!

serendipity

/ ˌsɛrənˈdɪpɪtɪ /

noun

1. the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident

Other Word Forms

• serendipitous adjective
• serendipiter noun
• serendipitist noun
• serendipper noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of serendipity¹

Serendip + -ity; coined in 1754 by English novelist Horace Walpole ( def. ) for an ability possessed by the heroes of a fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip, using a former name for Sri Lanka

Word History and Origins

Origin of serendipity¹

C18: coined by Horace Walpole, from the Persian fairytale The Three Princes of Serendip, in which the heroes possess this gift

Example Sentences

And they’re the product not of planning, but serendipity, a crucial feature of scientific progress.

From Los Angeles Times

A few years later, Henson and his wife, Gayle, opened a dude ranch in Santa Barbara County called, in a stroke of eventual marketing serendipity, Hidden Valley Ranch.

From Salon

The Golden State’s path to parity has not been serendipity or an inevitable result of California liberalism.

From Los Angeles Times

The couple said that finding the mobile home in 2010 was a stroke of serendipity.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's pure serendipity that 2024 became the year these films were released, igniting conversations together."

From BBC

Related Words

• fluke 
• happenstance