verb
Happen is defined as to take place or occur by chance.
An example of happen is running into a friend at a coffee shop.
happen
- to take place; occur; befall
- to be or occur by chance or without plan: it happened to rain
- to have the luck or occasion: I happened to catch the exhibit when I was in New York
- to come by chance (along, by, in, etc.)
Origin of happen
Middle English happenen: see hap and -enhappen Idioms
as it so happens
as a matter of fact; incidentally
happen on
to meet or find by chance
happen to
to be done to or be the fate of; befall
happen
verb
hap·pened, hap·pen·ing, hap·pensverb
intransitive- a. To come to pass: Where did the accident happen?b. To come about as a consequence; result: Trouble always seems to happen when he's around.c. To be the fate; become: What will happen to the business when the owner retires?
- To encounter something by chance: I happened upon an interesting article in the newspaper.
- To come or go casually; make an appearance: My friend happened by around dinnertime.
verb
transitive- Used with the impersonal subject it and a following clause or infinitive to indicate the occurrence of a usually unexpected or chance event: It happened that I was in the shower when you called. It happened to snow on the night she was born.
- To have the fortune (to be or do something); be in a situation or position (to be or do something): The bus station happens to be close to the museum. I happen to know the answer to that question.
- Used with an infinitive to make polite requests: Do you happen to know the time?
Origin of happen
Middle English happenen from hap chance ; see hap .happen
Verb
(third-person singular simple present happens, present participle happening, simple past and past participle happened)
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive.
Origin
From Middle English happenen
