happenstance
Americannoun
noun
-
chance
-
a chance occurrence
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.
Fun fact: That Post-it Notes were originally yellow was happenstance, too; that’s the color scrap paper the lab next door had available.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Many of Burns’ works do, purely by happenstance.
From Salon • Nov. 15, 2025
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
One day she came across a rabbit, purely by happenstance.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
![]()
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.