fortunate

adjective

for·​tu·​nate ˈfȯr-chə-nət How to pronounce fortunate (audio)
ˈfȯrch-nət
Synonyms of fortunate
1
: bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain : auspicious
made a fortunate investment
2
: receiving some unexpected good
How fortunate we are to get such a nice room!
fortunateness noun

Synonyms of fortunate

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for fortunate

lucky, fortunate, happy, providential mean meeting with unforeseen success.

lucky stresses the role of chance in bringing about a favorable result.

won because of a lucky bounce

fortunate suggests being rewarded beyond what one deserves.

fortunate in my investments

happy combines the implications of lucky and fortunate with stress on being blessed.

a series of happy accidents

providential more definitely implies the help or intervention of a higher power.

a providential change in the weather

Examples of fortunate in a Sentence

How fortunate we were to find that restaurant! We should try to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement The same technology that is delivering fortunes in Silicon Valley can also deliver help to the least fortunate. — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 Regardless, while the series might have had fluky components, between Milwaukee's fortunate luck on balls in play, runners in scoring position performance and pitching outcomes, the ultimate series result was anything but. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 The less fortunate ones become governesses or companions for older women. — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026 That kind of hands-on project required plenty of time, something Reading was fortunate enough to have that summer while working for herself as a freelance artist. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fortunate

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fortunate was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing fortunate

Rhymes for fortunate

See All Rhymes for fortunate

Browse Nearby Words

fortuity
fortunate
fortunately
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fortunate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortunate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

fortunate

adjective
for·​tu·​nate ˈfȯrch-(ə-)nət How to pronounce fortunate (audio)
1
: coming or happening by good luck : bringing good that was not expected
2
: receiving some unexpected or unearned good : lucky
fortunateness noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All