serendipity
noun
ser·en·dip·i·ty ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē 
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
also : an instance of this
Example Sentences
As they leapfrog from South Africa to Singapore in search of local delicacies, the authors prove again and again that serendipity is the traveler's strongest ally: many of their most memorable meals issue from the hands of generous strangers … 
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Saveur, June/July 2008 If reporters fail to keep these files, they seldom luck into bigger stories. Their investigative work typically happens only by design—analyzing the news, for instance—not by serendipity. Michael J. Bugeja, Editor & Publisher, 13 Jan. 2003 A week earlier, the doctor would have had no recourse but to make an incision in the baby's skin to get to a vein—a precarious option now, since time was running short and it would take nearly half an hour to assemble the necessary equipment. But in an extraordinary bit of serendipity, Hanson had attended a seminar on emergency medical care for children just a week before. David Ruben, Parenting, December/January 1996 They found each other by pure serendipity.
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Saveur, June/July 2008 If reporters fail to keep these files, they seldom luck into bigger stories. Their investigative work typically happens only by design—analyzing the news, for instance—not by serendipity. Michael J. Bugeja, Editor & Publisher, 13 Jan. 2003 A week earlier, the doctor would have had no recourse but to make an incision in the baby's skin to get to a vein—a precarious option now, since time was running short and it would take nearly half an hour to assemble the necessary equipment. But in an extraordinary bit of serendipity, Hanson had attended a seminar on emergency medical care for children just a week before. David Ruben, Parenting, December/January 1996 They found each other by pure serendipity. Recent Examples on the Web The Catherine/Henry cipher came to her attention this spring, through a similar moment of serendipity. New York Times, 7 July 2022 Those quick moments of serendipity mix with long stretches of relentless work, with the pair reading legal and medical canon side by side, then pursuing the sources of those musty papers and reports in the flesh. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2022 As for the space issue — Cardinal said her family lives in a nice, three-bedroom cape, but not big enough to accommodate all nine Ukrainians — serendipity stepped in. Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2022 MacBook Pro leaning into the laptops with grunt, the serendipity of diminishing the importance of raw specifications in place of the hipster aesthetic is definitely on message. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 1 June 2022 Your plot of land is where the serendipity begins – those unexpected magical moments that make festivals so special. Peter Csathy, SPIN, 30 May 2022 But landing at NBC Sports Boston during the season was a combination of serendipity and some smart talent scouting by the network. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2022 Their moment of serendipity started a lifelong friendship, one that opened Rumble’s doors to a constant flow of families, friends and even strangers every year leading up to race day. Rachel Fradette, The Indianapolis Star, 29 May 2022 In a week where a regional theater just won a Tony Award for decades of excellence, one hopes for serendipity. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2022 See More
New York Times, 7 July 2022 Those quick moments of serendipity mix with long stretches of relentless work, with the pair reading legal and medical canon side by side, then pursuing the sources of those musty papers and reports in the flesh. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2022 As for the space issue — Cardinal said her family lives in a nice, three-bedroom cape, but not big enough to accommodate all nine Ukrainians — serendipity stepped in. Ted Glanzer, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2022 MacBook Pro leaning into the laptops with grunt, the serendipity of diminishing the importance of raw specifications in place of the hipster aesthetic is definitely on message. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 1 June 2022 Your plot of land is where the serendipity begins – those unexpected magical moments that make festivals so special. Peter Csathy, SPIN, 30 May 2022 But landing at NBC Sports Boston during the season was a combination of serendipity and some smart talent scouting by the network. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2022 Their moment of serendipity started a lifelong friendship, one that opened Rumble’s doors to a constant flow of families, friends and even strangers every year leading up to race day. Rachel Fradette, The Indianapolis Star, 29 May 2022 In a week where a regional theater just won a Tony Award for decades of excellence, one hopes for serendipity. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
from its possession by the heroes of the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip
First Known Use
1754, in the meaning defined above
serendipity
noun
as in luck
literary the unexpected occurrence of or faculty for finding valuable or agreeable things that are not sought They found each other by pure serendipity. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- luck
- coincidence
- fluke
- windfall
- opportunity
- blessing
- luckiness
- chance
- hit
- godsend
- boon
- strike
- fortune
- fortunateness
- stroke
- coup
- break
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- tragedy
- misadventure
- mishap
- disaster
- accident
- trouble
- sorrow
- calamity
- catastrophe
- failure
- adversity
- curse
- knock
- debacle
- reversal
- defeat
- cataclysm
- fate
- destiny
- disappointment
- casualty
- reverse
- lapse
- circumstance
- setback
- misfortune
- letdown
- lot
- portion
- débâcle
- doom
- fizzle
- mischance
- nonachievement
- nonsuccess
- slipup
- jinx
- hex
- unluckiness