serendipitous

adjective

ser·​en·​dip·​i·​tous ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-təs How to pronounce serendipitous (audio)
: obtained or characterized by serendipity
serendipitous discoveries
serendipitously adverb

Examples of serendipitous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web A bit of serendipitous fortune put Hayden at Michigan as W.H. Auden, one of Britain’s foremost poets, arrived to teach for one school year. Tom Stanton, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024 If a double does pass by, take it as a sign: not of impending doom, but of simple, serendipitous chance. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 His serendipitous Stateside move came after his dad, who worked for an air conditioner manufacturer, did some training in the country and set his sights on the American Dream. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 With employees physically dispersed across the U.S. and abroad, spontaneous, serendipitous interactions, team building, birthday celebrations and informal social gatherings have faded away. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The new film turns on Eva, 50, a married woman on the quest for passion whose life takes a dramatic turn after a serendipitous encounter in Rome. Callum McLennan, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 For instance, Jigsaw’s in-person dating events attracted 20000 attendees across 28 states in the last year, indicating that the serendipitous slow-burn of offline, in-person dating is back in vogue. Mark Travers, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 But the extreme conditions can make some fossil discoveries all the more serendipitous. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 But Morgan Chu’s serendipitous encounter with a key UCLA official at a poker game would greatly help the cause. Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serendipitous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serendipitous was in 1943

Dictionary Entries Near serendipitous

Cite this Entry

“Serendipitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serendipitous. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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