serendipity
Americannoun
plural
serendipities-
an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
-
accidental discovery, or an instance of this.
Alton’s premiere novel was a serendipity that affected my thinking in the most positive way.
-
good fortune; luck.
What serendipity—she got the first job she applied for!
noun
Other Word Forms
- serendipiter noun
- serendipitist noun
- serendipitous adjective
- serendipper noun
Etymology
Origin of serendipity
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
Explanation
If you find good things without looking for them, serendipity — unexpected good luck — has brought them to you. Serendipity does not come from Latin or Greek, but rather was created by a British nobleman in the mid 1700s from an ancient Persian fairy tale. The meaning of the word, good luck in finding valuable things unintentionally, refers to the fairy tale characters who were always making discoveries through chance. You can thank serendipity if you find a pencil at an empty desk just as you walk into an exam and realize that you forgot yours.
Vocabulary lists containing serendipity
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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You Name It: Eponyms
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Some Obscure Eponyms
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New ideas spring, as if by serendipity, from individuals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
And they’re the product not of planning, but serendipity, a crucial feature of scientific progress.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025
"It's pure serendipity that 2024 became the year these films were released, igniting conversations together."
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024
This dish came about more by happenstance than planning, but I’m deeply grateful for that serendipity.
From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024
It was serendipity that called her in the countdown to John Glenn’s flight.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
