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serendipity definition

ser·en·dip·ity (ser′ən dip′ə tē)

noun

  1. a seeming gift for finding something good accidentally
  2. luck, or good fortune, in finding something good accidentally
  3. an instance of this

Etymology: coined (c. 1754) by Horace Walpole after The Three Princes of Serendip (i.e., Sri Lanka), a Pers fairy tale in which the princes make such discoveries

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

serendipity Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • involve: Nick, tho, points out that there has been a fair amount of serendipity involved in arriving at this sound.

Adjective modifier

  • sheer: By sheer serendipity the new project thus became a cardboard design.

Modifies a noun

  • factor: For example, there's a serendipity factor of seeing files in their ' home ' location.
serendipity usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"serendipity." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/serendipity>

APA Style

serendipity. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/serendipity

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