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happenstance

American  
[hap-uhn-stans] / ˈhæp ənˌstæns /

noun

  1. a chance happening happen or event.

happenstance British  
/ ˈhæpənˌstæns /

noun

  1. chance

  2. a chance occurrence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of happenstance

First recorded in 1895–1900; happen + (circum)stance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Harnessing happenstance has led to inventions that have changed the world—from extending the lives of cardiac patients to overhauling how humans eat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

For Sebastián Yatra, a miracle doesn’t have to be a grandiose happenstance; it can be a child’s smile, the perfect cup of tea or rain on a sunny day.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2025

The initial Metro Bashers came to their hobby independently, meeting through happenstance and their shared love of the rail network.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2025

Other scientists must then replicate those results, proving that the first results weren’t happenstance.

From Slate • Nov. 14, 2024

She considers the vagaries of sports, the happenstance of El Li'der, a star pitcher in his youth, narrowly missing a baseball career in America.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.