WORD OF THE DAY: FORTUITOUS
adjective|for-TOO-uh-tus
What It Means
Fortuitous is a formal word that usually describes something that comes or happens by a lucky chance. It can also mean “happening by chance” and “fortunate, lucky.”
// The fact that we were both there was a fortuitous coincidence.
// You could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time.
Examples of FORTUITOUS
“The timing of the hit’s resurgence proved fortuitous: She had nearly wrapped the recording for 2025 full-length Pressure … and the scorching hot single provided a push in the lead-up.” — Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Did You Know?
Before its meaning expanded, fortuitous meant one thing only: “happening by chance.” This was no accident; its Latin forebear, fortuitus, shares the same ancient root as fors, the Latin word for “chance.” But the fact that fortuitous sounds like a blend of fortunate and felicitous (“happily suited to an occasion”) likely led to a second meaning of “fortunate, lucky,” with the seeds of the newer sense perhaps planted by writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a random occurrence. The “lucky” use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Irregardless (cough), employing this sense in sterner company may be considered chancy.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
