happenstance
noun
hap·pen·stance
ˈha-pən-ˌstan(t)s 
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
And then in early July, the boy turned up in Miami after being spotted, by happenstance, in someone’s outdoor live video stream.
—
David Chiu, Peoplemag, 18 July 2024
By happenstance, the group descended via an older route that’s no longer in use.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2024
By happenstance, Wardenclyffe Tower, located in New York State, was an experimental wireless transmission tower that Nikola Tesla designed and built.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024
But corrupt elements within the New York judicial system, by mere happenstance, initiated action on this case eight years after the fact in the middle of the 2024 presidential election campaign season.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for happenstance 
David Chiu, Peoplemag, 18 July 2024
By happenstance, the group descended via an older route that’s no longer in use.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2024
By happenstance, Wardenclyffe Tower, located in New York State, was an experimental wireless transmission tower that Nikola Tesla designed and built.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024
But corrupt elements within the New York judicial system, by mere happenstance, initiated action on this case eight years after the fact in the middle of the 2024 presidential election campaign season.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for happenstance
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.
Dictionary Entries Near happenstance
Cite this Entry
“Happenstance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happenstance. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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