serendipity
Americannoun
plural
serendipities-
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
- serendipiter noun
- serendipitist noun
- serendipitous adjective
- serendipper noun
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
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.
Yes, that’s why I like the word serendipity.
From Slate • Mar. 2, 2026
New ideas spring, as if by serendipity, from individuals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
The couple said that finding the mobile home in 2010 was a stroke of serendipity.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2025
"It's pure serendipity that 2024 became the year these films were released, igniting conversations together."
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024
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
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.
