fortuitous

adjective for·tu·itous \ fȯr-ˈtü-ə-təs , -ˈtyü- , fər- \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Usage guide: Usage of fortuitous

Examples: fortuitous in a Sentence

Definition of fortuitous

1 : occurring by chance

2 a : fortunate, lucky

from a cost standpoint, the company's timing is fortuitous
—Business Week

b : coming or happening by a lucky chance

belted down the stairs, and there was a fortuitous train
—Doris Lessing

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fortuitously

adverb

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fortuitousness

noun

See fortuitous defined for English-language learners

See fortuitous defined for kids

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.

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 of fortuitous from the Web

About the owners: Chuck Pine had a fortuitous sense of timing.

— patrick z. mcgavin, Daily Southtown, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe in Burbank," 9 July 2018
Even Thursday’s loss to Belgium was fortuitous: by finishing second in its group behind Belgium, England avoided Brazil, five-time World Cup champ and home to superstar Neymar Jr., in its quadrant.

— sean gregory, Time, "32 Teams Entered, 16 Remain. Your Ultimate Guide to the World Cup Knockout Stage," 29 June 2018
To be an elite competitor is to jet from one iconic coastline to another, each destination a fortuitous collision of earth, wind and water.

— jesse katz, Smithsonian, "Engineering the Perfect Wave," 27 June 2018
The timing proved fortuitous because just as center referee Nawaf Shukralla waved Niang back on, Poland’s Grzegorz Krychowiak put his foot into a long back pass that N’Doye, sprinting off the sidelines, dashed after.

— kevin baxter, latimes.com, "Senegal gets Africa's first points in World Cup, upsetting Poland 2-1," 19 June 2018
Estelle Harris, George's mom, lived in New York, but happenedto be in L.A. during casting, which proved fortuitous.

— marc freeman, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Seinfeld' Finale at 20: Hidden Tales From the Vault of a Comedian's Bizarro World," 13 May 2018
And thus, the fateful tale of the wayward corgi came to a fortuitous conclusion.

— saryn chorney, PEOPLE.com, "WATCH: 'Dog Twitter' Helping Grandparents Reunite with Their Lost Senior Corgi Will Give You All the Feels," 25 June 2018
Their timing was fortuitous; wallpaper, says Stordiau, is enjoying a democratic resurgence.

— laird borrelli-persson, Vogue, "Baptism by Fire: How Antoinette Poisson Came to Create Textiles for Gucci’s Resort Collection," 20 June 2018
Finally, in the 54th minute, Spain scored the goal which reflected their superiority, though the goal itself was fortuitous at best.

— SI.com, "Iran 0-1 Spain: Diego Costa & VAR Give La Roja Deserved Group B Win Despite Brave Iranian Resistance," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fortuitous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

For some 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, derives from the same ancient root as the Latin word for "chance," which is "fors." But the fact that "fortuitous" sounds like a blend of "fortunate" and "felicitous" (meaning "happily suited to an occasion") may have been what ultimately led to a second meaning: "fortunate." That use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Perhaps the seeds of the newer sense were planted by earlier writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a chance occurrence. In fact, today we quite often apply "fortuitous" to something that is a chance occurrence but has a favorable result.