Main Entry: ¹for·tune

Pronunciation: \ˈfȯr-chən\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fortuna; akin to Latin fort-, fors chance, luck, and perhaps to ferre to carry — more at bear

Date: 14th century

1 often capitalized : a hypothetical force or personified power that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably or unfavorably
2 obsolete : accident, incident
3 a : prosperity attained partly through luck : success b : luck 1 c plural : the turns and courses of luck accompanying one's progress (as through life) <her fortunes varied but she never gave up>
4 : destiny, fate <can tell your fortune>; also : a prediction of fortune
5 a : riches, wealth <a man of fortune> b : a store of material possessions <the family fortune> c : a very large sum of money <spent a fortune redecorating>