fortuitous

American  

[fawr-too-i-tuhs, -tyoo-] / fɔrˈtu ɪ təs, -ˈtyu- /

adjective

1. happening or produced by chance; accidental.

   a fortuitous encounter.

   Synonyms:

   incidental

2. lucky; fortunate.

   a series of fortuitous events that advanced her career.

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fortuitous British  

/ fɔːˈtjuːɪtəs /

adjective

1. happening by chance, esp by a lucky chance; unplanned; accidental

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Commonly Confused

Fortuitous has developed in sense from “happening by chance” to “happening by lucky chance” to simply “lucky, fortunate.” This development was probably influenced by the similarity of fortuitous to fortunate and perhaps to felicitous : A fortuitous late-night snowfall made for a day of great skiing. Many object to the use of fortuitous to mean simply “fortunate” and insist that it should be limited to its original sense of “accidental.” In modern standard use, however, fortuitous almost always carries the senses both of accident or chance and luck or fortune. It is infrequently used in its sense of “accidental” without the suggestion of good luck, and even less frequently in the sense “lucky” without at least a suggestion of accident or chance: A fortuitous encounter with a former schoolmate led to a new and successful career for the artist.

Related Words

See accidental.

Other Word Forms

• fortuitously
  adverb
• fortuitousness
  noun
• nonfortuitous
  adjective
• nonfortuitously
  adverb
• nonfortuitousness
  noun
• unfortuitous
  adjective
• unfortuitously
  adverb
• unfortuitousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of fortuitous

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin fortuitus, fortuītus, equivalent to fortu- (u-stem base, otherwise unattested, akin to fors, genitive fortis “chance, luck”) + -itus, -ītus adjective suffix (for formation cf. gratuitous); see -ous

Explanation

Fortuitous means by chance, like a lucky accident. If you and your best friend's families happen to go on vacation to the same place at the same time, that’s a fortuitous coincidence! Something fortuitous is random like an accident, but there’s no downside. A rock falling on your head is an accident, dollar bills falling on your head is fortuitous. The meaning of fortuitous is changing from "happening by chance" to "lucky chance" because people get it mixed up with fortunate. But watch out: If you say fortuitous to mean just plain lucky without the element of chance — that's a usage error.

Example Sentences

But now they are now clued in to their fortuitous timing.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Apple’s pocket music player largely owed its existence to one fortuitous meeting Apple executives had with the maker of a tiny hard drive that didn’t seem to have any practical application.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

But what would have been a fortuitous goal was chalked off because the ball was deemed to have hit his elbow, which was tight to his body.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

Sometimes, a swerving behind can be a fortuitous red flag, signaling hidden spinal defects before expensive MRIs are required.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

It was hot; the water was heavy, but the task turned out to be fortuitous for her—and for me.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

Related Words

• fortunate
• odd
• random
• serendipitous
• unforeseen