fortunate

adjective

for·​tu·​nate ˈfȯr-chə-nət 

ˈfȯrch-nət

1

: bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain : auspicious

made a fortunate investment

2

: receiving some unexpected good

How fortunate we are to get such a nice room!

fortunateness noun

Synonyms

• fluky
• flukey
• fortuitous
• happy
• heaven-sent
• lucky
• providential

Choose the Right Synonym for fortunate

lucky, fortunate, happy, providential mean meeting with unforeseen success.

lucky stresses the role of chance in bringing about a favorable result.

won because of a lucky bounce

fortunate suggests being rewarded beyond what one deserves.

fortunate in my investments

happy combines the implications of lucky and fortunate with stress on being blessed.

a series of happy accidents

providential more definitely implies the help or intervention of a higher power.

a providential change in the weather

Examples of fortunate in a Sentence

How fortunate we were to find that restaurant!

We should try to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Recent Examples on the Web

Orlando lost to Boston 103-86 at TD Garden in Game 1, but in some ways, Orlando was fortunate the outcome wasn’t more lopsided. —Josh Robbins, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025

For the education sector as a whole, and for the preservation of academic freedom, Kimball pointed out to me, the decision to target Harvard may turn out to be a fortunate miscalculation. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

The fortunate ones made it to international waters, positioning themselves in the shipping lanes, hoping a ship would rescue them. —Lauren Vuong, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025

Before there was Downton Abbey, the seminal series — set at the turn of the 20th century across nearly three decades of Edwardian England — traced the lives of the fortunate Bellamy family and its servants, set against the backdrop of the era’s sociopolitical upheaval. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fortunate

• consider oneself lucky/fortunate

Rhymes for fortunate

• importunate
• unfortunate

Kids Definition

fortunate

adjective

for·​tu·​nate ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət 

1

: coming or happening by good luck : bringing good that was not expected

2

: receiving some unexpected or unearned good : lucky

fortunateness noun