easy
A fortuitous meeting at the library reunited two old friends who had not arranged to meet.
What does Fortuitous mean?
Fortuitous means happening by chance, often with a helpful result. It can also mean lucky.
Dictionary definition
Happening by chance rather than by planning. It often describes a chance event that brings a useful or happy result, and it can also mean lucky or fortunate even when chance is not the main point.
Example sentences
Fortuitous in a sentence
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The fortuitous arrival of a spare bus helped the class reach the museum on time.
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By a fortuitous coincidence, the two unrelated drawings used exactly the same colours.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Fortuitous
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
Two friends meet at a station without arranging it. What makes the meeting fortuitous?
The chance sense concerns an unplanned event. It does not itself tell us whether the friends enjoyed the meeting.
Practice 2
Which sentence most clearly combines chance with a helpful result?
The encounter is unplanned and brings a useful result, a common use of fortuitous.
Practice 3
Choose the adverb: We ___ found the missing map while looking for a pencil.
Fortuitously modifies found. Fortuitous and fortunate are adjectives; fortuitousness is a noun.
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Fortuitous
Voice settings
Sounds like
for · too · uh · tus · strongest beat: too
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordFortuitous.
Partadjective.
MeaningFortuitous means happening by chance, often with a helpful result. It can also mean lucky.
ExampleExample: A fortuitous meeting at the library reunited two old friends who had not arranged to meet.
Word breakdown
4 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- for · too · uh · tus
- Strongest beat
- too
- Ending
- tus
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on too.
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Synonyms
Words like Fortuitous
accidentalUse for a meeting or coincidence that was not planned; this says nothing about whether it helped.
fortunateUse when a situation brings good luck or a helpful result; this preserves the lucky sense.
Antonyms
Opposite words
deliberateUse for an event brought about intentionally; this contrasts happening by chance, not being lucky.
Synonym practice
Word family
Fortuitous word family
Base word
fortuitous
adverb
fortuitously
By chance or with good luck: the missing page was fortuitously found before printing.
noun
fortuitousness
The quality of occurring by chance or bringing good luck; a less common noun.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Fortuitous
Hint for students
Stress TOO in for-TOO-uh-tus. A TYOO sound is also used. Look for an unplanned event, a lucky result, or both; this is a formal word.
Common mix-up
Do not insist that fortuitous can never mean fortunate: that lucky use is established, though some readers object. For clarity, choose accidental when only chance matters and fortunate when only a good result matters.
Try it in class or at home
Give students four invented events: an unplanned helpful meeting, an unplanned neutral coincidence, a planned success and a planned failure. Have them identify where the chance sense fits, then rewrite the helpful event using fortuitous and explain the result.
Teacher prompt
Read: A fortuitous meeting at the library reunited two old friends. Add one sentence showing that the meeting was unplanned and another showing a helpful result. Explain which details establish each sense.
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