Your Smart Vocabulary Companion

Etymology

Coined by Horace Walpole in 1754, based on the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes made fortunate discoveries by accident. "Serendip" was an old name for Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

Usage Examples

1. "Meeting my business partner at that coffee shop was pure serendipity - neither of us planned to be there."

2. "Many scientific discoveries, like penicillin and X-rays, were the result of serendipity."

3. "The serendipity of finding a first edition book at a garage sale made her day."

Synonyms

• Chance
• Fortune
• Luck
• Happenstance
• Coincidence

Antonyms

• Misfortune
• Design
• Planning
• Intention
• Predictability

Fun Facts

• The discovery of Post-it Notes was serendipitous - 3M was trying to create a super-strong adhesive but accidentally made a weak, reusable one instead.
• "Serendipity" has been voted one of the most beautiful words in the English language.
• Many people credit serendipity for meeting their spouse, discovering their career path, or finding their favorite restaurant.

Word Family

• Serendipitous (adjective): Occurring or discovered by serendipity
• Serendipitously (adverb): In a serendipitous manner