serendipity
ser-uhn-DIP-i-tee/ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
Pluralserendipities
- 1Good luck that comes by chance, like finding something good or useful when you were not looking for it.
We met by serendipity at a bus stop in the rain.
The rain stopped just as the wedding began, which felt like pure serendipity.
UsageUnlike coincidence, which can be good or bad, it is used for lucky chance: pure serendipity.
Oppositemisfortune
Note
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Origin
Made up in 1754 by the English writer Horace Walpole, from Serendip, an old name for Sri Lanka. He took it from a Persian story about three princes of Serendip who kept finding things by accident.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts
- Horace Walpole coined serendipity in 1754. en.wiktionary.org
- Horace Walpole was an English writer. en.wiktionary.org
- The word derives from Serendip. en.wiktionary.org
- Serendip is an old name for Sri Lanka. en.wikipedia.org
- Walpole took the word from a Persian story about three princes of Serendip. en.wiktionary.org
- The princes repeatedly made accidental discoveries. gutenberg.org