serendipity

noun

Definition of serendipitynext
as in luck
literary the unexpected occurrence of or faculty for finding valuable or agreeable things that are not sought They found each other by pure serendipity.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of serendipity But serendipity intervened for Golden Glide in the form of Atlanta Roller Derby. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Any team can be caught cold from a set piece, as Arsenal were for Chelsea’s goal in the first 77 seconds, and there was an element of serendipity to the ball dropping within easy volleying reach of scorer Morgan Rogers. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026 That jumper pulls out a second name, and so on, and from the list flows all the serendipity of the fire season. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 There is a line between luck and serendipity that comes down to agency, The Serendipity Mindset explains. — Paula De La Cruz, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for serendipity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serendipity
  1. luck
  2. coincidence
Noun
  • And, in the case of the continent’s richest man Aliko Dangote, the conflict has proven the old adage that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles star as the down-on-their-luck Dashwood sisters, who are forced to move from their fine family estate into the decidedly more modest Barton Cottage.
    — Nicholas DeRenzo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of luck
Noun
  • That coincidence does not mean that Lilia’s story is mine, or that the novel is autobiographical.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • By coincidence, the Song aesthetic converges in both stories.
    — Li Jun, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of coincidence

Browse Nearby Words

serendipitous
serendipity
serene
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Serendipity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serendipity. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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

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