kismet

noun

kis·​met ˈkiz-ˌmet How to pronounce kismet (audio) -mət How to pronounce kismet (audio)
variants or Kismet
1
: a hypothetical force or personified power that determines the course of the future events : fate, destiny
… we left much of the trip planning to kismet and synchronicity, grateful for a chance to lose ourselves in the magic generated by anomalies, towering redwoods and sea air.Tanya Ward Goodman
They didn't know it right away, but when Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt met at a New York theater retreat in the late '90s, it was kismet.Elaina Patton
[Richard] Wiseman [psychologist and luck researcher] has found that luck is not so much kismet but the result of a set of behaviors that you can choose to practice.Jessica Glazer
The next day I met the Dalai Lama again after meeting him in Sydney two weeks earlier (I think it's Kismet).Ruby Wax
2
: an inevitable and often bad outcome, condition, or end that a particular person or thing will experience : fate sense 2a
If it was her kismet to die this year, there was no point in defying fate.Amir Taheri
"This is my Kismet," they say if they lose a relative to war or illness, or if a job or a fortune falls into their laps.Christopher Torchia

Did you know?

Kismet Has Arabic Roots

Is it your fate to tie macramé while drinking coffee and eating sherbet in a minaret? That would be an unusual destiny, but if it turns out to be your kismet, you will owe much to Turkish and Arabic. We borrowed kismet from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately comes from the Arabic word qisma, meaning "portion" or "lot." Several other terms in our bizarre opening question (namely, macramé, coffee, sherbet, and minaret) have roots in those languages too. In the case of macramé and minaret, there is a little French influence as well. Coffee and macramé also have Italian relations, and sherbet has an ancestor in a Persian name for a type of cold drink.

Examples of kismet in a Sentence

he always said that it was kismet that they met at a showing of their favorite movie
Recent Examples on the Web The latest Kismet will make its public debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in late September. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 8 July 2024 Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer Sweeney's partnership with Laneige is kismet as she’s been an avid fan of the K-beauty brand for quite some time. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 1 July 2024 Gemma Burgess, co-showrunner of the series and a former author herself, came to the book through a bit of kismet. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 June 2024 Hence the meeting of the two companies most recently was seemingly kismet. Essence, 28 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for kismet 

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

Turkish, from Arabic qisma portion, lot

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kismet was in 1828

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Dictionary Entries Near kismet

Cite this Entry

“Kismet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kismet. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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