kismet

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noun, often capitalized kis·met \ ˈkiz-ˌmet , -mət \

Definition of kismet

1 :fate 1

2 :fate 2a

See kismet defined for English-language learners

kismet was our Word of the Day on 03/19/2016. Hear the podcast!

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 of kismet from the Web

In the end, though, SZA feels like the timing was kismet, and the result is a genre-bending blend of R&B, soul, and psychedelia that lived up to fans' growing anticipation.

— ilana kaplan, Glamour, "SZA Explains Why She Might Give Up Making Music After Her Debut Album," 5 July 2017
There may have been a bit of kismet in the event, as the mutual friend, convinced that the two might make a couple, had earlier that day sent Ms. Schlosstein’s number to Mr. Strumwasser.

— New York Times, "Katherine Schlosstein, Jacob Strumwasser," 25 June 2017
For the Paris tattoo artist and painter Sunny Buick, finding UkeHut felt like kismet.

— ilise s. carter, New York Times, "UkeHut in Queens: Where No Ukulele Need Goes Unmet," 23 May 2017
Still, for all the political kismet between Trump and Putin—who share, among other things, a fondness for masculine projections of strength and a postmodern liberty with the truth—

— joshua yaffa, The New Yorker, "What Did Rex Tillerson Accomplish in Moscow?," 13 Apr. 2017

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

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 derives from the Arabic 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.