serendipity
Americannoun
-
serendipities
plural
-
an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
-
accidental discovery, or an instance of this.
Alton’s premiere novel was a serendipity that affected my thinking in the most positive way.
-
good fortune; luck.
What serendipity—she got the first job she applied for!
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of serendipity
Serendip + -ity; coined in 1754 by English novelist Horace Walpole ( def. ) for an ability possessed by the heroes of a fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip, using a former name for Sri Lanka
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing serendipity
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
You Name It: Eponyms
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Some Obscure Eponyms
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Schiller’s reporting methods rely, to some extent, on serendipity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
In an act of serendipity, he's lived here in a previous incarnation - this was also the home of Poldark, his breakthrough role.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Hoiberg built the team that broke the tournament curse with careful planning and some serendipity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
Yes, that’s why I like the word serendipity.
From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2026
Livingston had discovered electrical focusing by sheer ingenuity and serendipity; Lawrence recognized the underlying principle, which enabled him to incorporate it into subsequent designs.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
When she first came to New York, she was often hungry, surviving on nothing more than pizza slices and Orange Julius, but her life was full of serendipities.
From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2022
It felt, especially to the grandiose kid that was me at the time, like one of those sublime serendipities in which big cities, with all their complexity and potential, specialize.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 4, 2016
The goal is to create strategic conversations, connecting people and creating serendipities.
From Forbes ● Dec. 5, 2014
"What a long strange trip it's been," from the 1970 Grateful Dead hit "Truckin'," has become a widely used description of life's serendipities.
From Reuters ● Sep. 16, 2013
Still, there are intriguing serendipities, such as the large amount of standout work in black-and-white or near-monochromatic palettes.
From Washington Post
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.
