happenstance

noun

hap·​pen·​stance ˈha-pən-ˌstan(t)s How to pronounce happenstance (audio)
ˈha-pᵊm-
: a circumstance especially that is due to chance
They came together by mere happenstance.
happenstance adjective

Examples of happenstance in a Sentence

Our meeting was pure happenstance. We met each other by happenstance. It was an agreeable happenstance that we met.
Recent Examples on the Web By happenstance, the laser light show on the eve of the inauguration fired up the moment the channel went live. Hari Kumar, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2024 The New Blue Sun band came together through happenstance, according to André. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024 In a moment of happenstance, a New York creative director, Michael Goldberg, read an article about Luna Luna in 2022 and became enamored with the idea. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 12 Jan. 2024 Many of these drug candidates are often discovered by happenstance. Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Precisely 50 years later, and by happenstance, Nantz called a Saints game in New Orleans. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 There are those that unfortunately by happenstance or intent worsen these weighty matters. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Now what takes nature perhaps a billion years and a great deal of happenstance can be accomplished in a factory in a few weeks with the right machinery, the right materials—including a sliver of diamond that acts as a seed—and enough skilled technicians. Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2024 The team that finally delivered Naples its first post-Diego Maradona title was one of those moments of happenstance: a set of players and a coach who dovetailed perfectly. Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'happenstance.' 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

happen + circumstance

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of happenstance was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near happenstance

Cite this Entry

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

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