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serendipity Definition

ser·en·dip·ity (ser′ən dipə 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

serendipity Related Forms
ser′·en·dipi·tous adjective
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.
  • enjoy: However, we remain committed to running an open bookshop, where it's possible to enjoy the serendipity of real book browsing.
  • experience: We all have experienced the serendipity of relevant information arriving just when we were least expecting it.

Adjective modifier

  • sheer: By sheer serendipity the new project thus became a cardboard design.
  • pure: My diagnosis of prostate cancer at this time was pure serendipity and, as events turned out, most timely.
  • cybernetic: Cybernetic Serendipity: The Computer and the arts ( New York: Praeger, 1968 ), pp.
  • such: Simple database search solutions can be sterile, removing the possibility of such serendipity.
  • mere: Otherwise your chances of finding such a feature are down to either extremely assiduous trawling or mere serendipity.
  • wonderful: Beside, nature has laid on a wonderful serendipity.

Modifies a noun

  • factor: For example, there's a serendipity factor of seeing files in their ' home ' location.

Browse dictionary entries near serendipity

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  6. Serbo-Croatian
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  9. Serbia
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  1. serene
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