fortuitous

adjective

for·​tu·​itous fȯr-ˈtü-ə-təs How to pronounce fortuitous (audio)
-ˈtyü-,
fər-
1
: occurring by chance
2
a
: fortunate, lucky
from a cost standpoint, the company's timing is fortuitousBusiness Week
b
: coming or happening by a lucky chance
belted down the stairs, and there was a fortuitous trainDoris Lessing
fortuitously adverb
fortuitousness noun
Usage of Fortuitous

Sense 2a has been influenced in meaning by fortunate. It has been in standard if not elevated use for some 70 years, but is still disdained by some critics. Sense 2b, a blend of senses 1 and 2a, is virtually unnoticed by the critics. Sense 1 is the only sense commonly used in negative constructions.

Did you know?

For its first 250 years, until the early part of the 20th century, fortuitous meant one thing only: “happening by chance.” This was no accident; its Latin forebear, fortuitus, shares the same ancient root as fors, the Latin word for “chance.” But the fact that fortuitous sounds like a blend of fortunate and felicitous (“happily suited to an occasion”) likely led to a second meaning of “fortunate, lucky,” with the seeds of the newer sense perhaps planted by writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a random occurrence. The “lucky” use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Irregardless (cough), employing this sense in sterner company may be considered chancy.

Choose the Right Synonym for fortuitous

accidental, fortuitous, casual, contingent mean not amenable to planning or prediction.

accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

Examples of fortuitous in a Sentence

… the intensification of competition on the job market has only exacerbated our class anxiety, as hiring seems all the more uncertain if not fortuitous. Jeffrey J. Williams, College English, November 2003
… he is a brilliant candidate not despite his anti-intellectualism but because of it. He has stumbled upon a fortuitous moment in which the political culture, tired of wonks and pointy-heads and ideologues, yearns instead for a candidate unburdened by, or even hostile to, ideas. Jonathan Chait, New Republic, 20 Dec. 1999
Her $170, 000 bid on what is now Matanzas Creek's vineyard was accepted. The south-facing slope was a fortuitous find … its worth more than 10 times as much today. Jeff Morgan, Wine Spectator, 15 May 1996
His presence there was entirely fortuitous. You could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time.
Recent Examples on the Web This was fortuitous, not least because screenplays were rarely published then—even scripts for successful movies weren’t perceived to be of literary interest. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 But in 2022, the electric carmaker opened up the design and specifications for its charging ports, and in a fortuitous bit of marketing renamed it the North American Charging Standard. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 31 Jan. 2024 Lewandowski's goal was a fortuitous one as the ball ricocheted off his leg while a defender tried to clear it from in front of the net. Tales Azzoni, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024 For heat pump water heaters local residents are in a fortuitous position. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2024 Watch the spot below: The timing of the commercial is fortuitous, with YouTube CEO Neal Mohan saying this week that YouTube TV now has more than 8 million subscribers, up some 3 million from less than 2 years ago. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2024 For China, the timing of the upcoming display by Comac couldn’t be more fortuitous for China’s ambitions to join the ranks of global aircraft manufacturers. Danny Lee, Fortune Asia, 25 Jan. 2024 The expansive space — which also houses the meticulously vintage Southern Grooves studio and the Memphis Listening Lab, a treasure trove for audiophiles — lends itself well to fortuitous run-ins. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2023 Per tax records, the place last sold in 1976 for an almost unbelievable $105,000, meaning the sellers—the heirs of the recently deceased longtime owner—are now reaping the millions of benefits from a very fortuitous investment. James McClain, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fortuitous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin fortuitus; akin to Latin fort-, fors chance — more at fortune entry 1

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fortuitous was in 1653

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Dictionary Entries Near fortuitous

Cite this Entry

“Fortuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortuitous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fortuitous

adjective
for·​tu·​i·​tous
fȯr-ˈt(y)ü-ət-əs,
fər-
1
: occurring by chance
2
fortuitously adverb
fortuitousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fortuitous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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