fortuitous

adjective for·tu·itous \ fȯr-ˈtü-ə-təs , -ˈtyü- , fər- \

Updated on: 5 Dec 2017

Definition of fortuitous

1 : occurring by chance

2 a : fortunate, lucky

from a cost standpoint, the company's timing is fortuitous
—Business Week

b : coming or happening by a lucky chance

belted down the stairs, and there was a fortuitous train
—Doris Lessing

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fortuitously

adverb

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fortuitousness

noun

See fortuitous defined for English-language learners

See fortuitous defined for kids

Usage of fortuitous

Sense 2a has been influenced in meaning by fortunate. It has been in standard if not elevated use for some 70 years, but is still disdained by some critics. Sense 2b, a blend of senses 1 and 2a, is virtually unnoticed by the critics. Sense 1 is the only sense commonly used in negative constructions.

Examples of fortuitous in a Sentence

… the intensification of competition on the job market has only exacerbated our class anxiety, as hiring seems all the more uncertain if not fortuitous. —Jeffrey J. Williams, College English, November 2003
… he is a brilliant candidate not despite his anti-intellectualism but because of it. He has stumbled upon a fortuitous moment in which the political culture, tired of wonks and pointy-heads and ideologues, yearns instead for a candidate unburdened by, or even hostile to, ideas. —Jonathan Chait, New Republic, 20 Dec. 1999
Her $170, 000 bid on what is now Matanzas Creek's vineyard was accepted. The south-facing slope was a fortuitous find … its worth more than 10 times as much today. —Jeff Morgan, Wine Spectator, 15 May 1996
His presence there was entirely fortuitous.
You could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time.

Recent Examples of fortuitous from the Web

For Everton's current crop of first-team stars, any last sinew of confidence drained away from them the moment that Lyon bagged their first - and slightly fortuitous at that - goal in the 3-0 victory in the Europa League on Thursday night.

— SI.com, "FanView: It's Time for Everton's Stars to Stop Feeling Sorry for Themselves," 3 Nov. 2017
Looking back, Stanley says the timing of Superstorm Sandy was actually fortuitous for his museum, the Whitney.

— eleanor cummins, Slate Magazine, "Museums Are Just About the Only Places Ready for the Next Natural Disaster," 27 Oct. 2017
Thanks to some fortuitous timing, golfers have to weigh in on the matter.

— ben steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "U.S. captain Steve Stricker said his team will stand for anthem at Presidents Cup," 26 Sep. 2017
The size and timing of the find appeared so fortuitous, then-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said God must be Brazilian.

— paul kiernan, WSJ, "Brazil Lets In Big Oil Firms After Keeping Them Out for a Decade," 26 Sep. 2017
Giorno made another fortuitous connection, in 1964, with William S. Burroughs.

— mary kaye schilling, Newsweek, "New York Is Celebrating John Giorno, One of Last Great Underground Artists," 10 June 2017
But another one of Ms. Gregoli’s clients, whose wedding was booked in December at the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas, in the United States Virgin Islands, wasn’t as fortuitous.

— brooke lea foster and lauren sloss, New York Times, "5 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Unexpected Wedding Catastrophe," 18 Oct. 2017
Juventus then scored a fortuitous second through Mandžukić, although the Croatian striker didn't know too much about it.

— SI.com, "Underfire Gonzalo Higuain Spares Juventus' Blushes in Turin," 28 Sep. 2017
That problem stumped Jacobs-Lorena for years, until one of his team members, Sibao Wang, made a fortuitous discovery.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Two Ways of Making Malaria-Proof Mosquitoes," 28 Sep. 2017

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

Did You Know?

For some 250 years, until the early part of the 20th century, "fortuitous" meant one thing only: "happening by chance." This was no accident; its Latin forebear, fortuitus, derives from the same ancient root as the Latin word for "chance," which is "fors." But the fact that "fortuitous" sounds like a blend of "fortunate" and "felicitous" (meaning "happily suited to an occasion") may have been what ultimately led to a second meaning: "fortunate." That use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Perhaps the seeds of the newer sense were planted by earlier writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a chance occurrence. In fact, today we quite often apply "fortuitous" to something that is a chance occurrence but has a favorable result.