Serendipity
noun /ˌserənˈdɪpɪti/ — A happy accident with perfect timing.
Definition
The occurrence of fortunate events by chance — finding something wonderful when you weren't looking for it.
Beyond the definition
One of the most beloved words in English. It captures the magic of stumbling onto the right book, person, or opportunity at exactly the right moment.
Origin & history
Horace Walpole coined serendipity in a letter dated 28 January 1754, drawing on 'The Three Princes of Serendip.' He described the princes discovering things they had not sought through accident and sagacity. Serendip is an old name for Sri Lanka.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
It was pure serendipity that they ended up on the same flight.
Many great scientific discoveries have been the result of serendipity.
She found her dream apartment by serendipity — she wasn't even apartment-hunting.
How to use it
Use serendipity for an unexpected, valuable discovery, not just any coincidence. It is usually an uncountable noun: “by serendipity” or “a moment of serendipity.”
Illustrative example: “By serendipity, a wrong turn led us to the bookshop we had been hoping to find.”
Synonyms
fortune, chance, happy accident, synchronicity, kismet
Antonyms
misfortune, bad luck, design
Related words
- fortuitous
- kismet
- synchronicity
- providence
Serendipity vs coincidence
Serendipity involves finding something valuable or agreeable that was not sought. Coincidence describes an unexpected concurrence of events; it can be happy, unfortunate, or neutral. Meeting a friend by chance is a coincidence; unexpectedly discovering a useful book while looking for something else is serendipity. A coincidence need not lead to a discovery.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
The discovery that was not the plan
A rain shower sends a sketcher into a secondhand bookshop for shelter. Inside, a book of botanical drawings unexpectedly offers inspiration for their next project.
The wet umbrella marks the unplanned detour; the illustrated book makes its fortunate result visible. It is not just a surprising event: something welcome is found while the person is doing something else. That combination of chance and benefit is the point of the scene.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated illustration