windfall

American  

[wind-fawl] / ˈwɪndˌfɔl /

noun

1. an unexpected gain, piece of good fortune, or the like.

   I've recently come into a windfall and am considering early retirement.

2. an unexpected positive result or by-product.

   The industry’s profits are a windfall of war.

3. something blown down by the wind, such as fruit or a tree.

   We'll have plenty of firewood for winter, as there are a lot of pine windfalls around.

   She has a dozen apple trees, and every day she picks up the windfalls for eating and baking.

4. the fall of something blown down by the wind.

   The orchard must be sheltered from prevailing winds, as a windfall of peaches too early in the season can be disastrous.

5. a quantity or mass of trees blown down by the wind, or an area containing many such trees.

   The road was covered by extensive windfall which had to be cut and removed.

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adjective

1. (of profit or other gain) coming unexpectedly and in a large amount.

   One new business relationship can produce tens of thousands of dollars in windfall profits.

2. blown down by the wind.

   In addition to grain, his free-range chickens eat bugs and windfall fruit.

windfall British  

/ ˈwɪndˌfɔːl /

noun

1. a piece of unexpected good fortune, esp financial gain

2. something blown down by the wind, esp a piece of fruit

3. a plot of land covered with trees blown down by the wind

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windfall Cultural  

1. An unexpected profit from a business or other source. The term connotes gaining huge profits without working for them — for example, when oil companies profit from a temporary scarcity of oil.

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Etymology

Origin of windfall

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; wind ¹ + fall

Explanation

Lucky you! You just won the lottery and your windfall will make life very comfortable for you and your family. A windfall is a crazy bit of unexpected good fortune. First used in the 15th century, the word windfall originally referred to fruit that the wind blew from the trees. Like a prize was there for whomever found it — no need for the ladder and effort of picking it from the tall trees. The word eventually came to mean any unexpected and easily-gained good fortune, typically one involving money, such as the windfall profit from a lucky stock purchase.

Example Sentences

The latest windfall is so generous it has stunned even Wall Street, where the stock prices of the private health-insurance giants involved in the program rocketed in response.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

LNG producers are in for a windfall, but this is now priced into their stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The country is continuing to enjoy a windfall from US technology and pharma companies who pay much of their global taxes in Ireland.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

If HMH has a splashy debut, that would be a windfall for Baker Hughes and Akastor, which are currently 50-50 owners of HMH.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The laundry workers earned 40 cents an hour, ranking them among the lowest paid of all war workers, but with few job options available to them, it felt like a windfall.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• bonanza
• bonus