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

• happy
• lucky

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

The best day to call these energies into our lives is November 1st, when Venus and the fortunate star Spica meet up in the sky, granting our wishes and bringing in magic. —Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 14 Oct. 2025

The men were also fortunate enough to find a sliver of cell reception. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 13 Oct. 2025

Beowulf was both more fortunate and less fortunate than these other Anglo-Saxon works—more fortunate in that the manuscript, although damaged, was not destroyed by the fire, less fortunate in that no transcripts had been made before 1731. —Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025

Between a few fortunate bounces for Minnesota and a Blues defense that didn’t deal well with the Wild pressure Thursday, Binnington’s numbers paid a bit of a price. —Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 10 Oct. 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