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serendipity

/ˈsɛrənˌdɪpədi/

/sɛrɪnˈdɪpɪti/

IPA guide

Other forms: serendipities

If you find good things without looking for them, serendipity — unexpected good luck — has brought them to you.

Serendipity does not come from Latin or Greek, but rather was created by a British nobleman in the mid 1700s from an ancient Persian fairy tale. The meaning of the word, good luck in finding valuable things unintentionally, refers to the fairy tale characters who were always making discoveries through chance. You can thank serendipity if you find a pencil at an empty desk just as you walk into an exam and realize that you forgot yours.

Definitions of serendipity
  1. noun
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
    see moresee less
    type of:
    fluke, good fortune, good luck
    a stroke of luck
Pronunciation
US

/ˈsɛrənˌdɪpədi/

UK

/sɛrɪnˈdɪpɪti/

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