Meaning & use

fortuitous

adjective·Advanced

Happening by chance, especially in a helpful or lucky way.

See it in a sentence

A fortuitous meeting at the library led to a new research partner.

The timing was fortuitous: the rain stopped just as the guests arrived.

A note on using this word

Fortuitous emphasizes chance. Use fortunate when you simply mean lucky, whether or not chance is central.

Words with a similar meaning

chanceaccidental

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

planneddeliberate

Make it your own

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