1
as in fortunate
coming or happening by good luck especially unexpectedly
your arrival just before the thunderstorm was fortuitous
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2
as in accidental
happening by chance
firmly believes that the creation of the universe was something other than just the fortuitous coming together of particles of matter
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Recent Examples of fortuitous
But in this case, fortuitous circumstances preserved the dinosaur tracks for millions of years for the fossil record, Richard Butler, a palaeobiologist at the University of Birmingham who helped lead the excavation, told USA TODAY.
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Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Harbaugh’s first Bolts team will play in the postseason next week in part because of the fortuitous circumstances that led them to drafting rookie stars Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
Fossil Location The tyrannosaur teeth in the Ashdown Brickworks turned out to be fortuitous find, as researchers say the dinosaur group hadn’t previously been identified in sediments of this age and region.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 1 Jan. 2025
The Rams won the division and a playoff berth during a fortuitous holiday weekend.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fortuitous
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Harbaugh’s first Bolts team will play in the postseason next week in part because of the fortuitous circumstances that led them to drafting rookie stars Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
Fossil Location The tyrannosaur teeth in the Ashdown Brickworks turned out to be fortuitous find, as researchers say the dinosaur group hadn’t previously been identified in sediments of this age and region.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 1 Jan. 2025
The Rams won the division and a playoff berth during a fortuitous holiday weekend.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fortuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortuitous
Adjective
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Hurley is fortunate his Huskies don’t play in the SEC.—
Bob Raissman,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
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Been very fortunate and very thankful to Steve John at Pebble and AT&T to get a spot there and Tiger and Genesis to get the one at Torrey.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cena later handed that watch over to Scott, who entered the fray and started unwinding on Rhodes; wrestling fans on social media are debating whether Scott made actual (and accidental) contact with the bloodied Rhodes, who seemed to genuinely wince after Scott’s punches.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2025
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It will be laid on the seabed to a depth of up to 4.3 miles (7 km), with some lengths in shallow waters being buried to protect against accidental or intentional interference.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Dismukes was happy the Viking could persevere during a rough game in the teeth of the playoffs.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
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Celebrate and be happy with me, and forgive me for leaving you.—
Jawad Rizkallah,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When Melonie Ambler prepares to treat a patient, her medical toolkit includes something unexpected: A cello.—
Elizabeth Cook,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2025
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That's what your nation's human space flight program is all about, planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Around 814 million people will be within the eclipse's reach, but only a lucky 44,800 people in far northern Quebec will experience more than a 90% eclipsed sun.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
1 Mar. 2025
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The lucky players, who live in the Tampa Bay area, bought scratch-off tickets worth $1 million, according to the Florida Lottery.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Purely coincidental, said Heat Executive Vice President and Chief Marking Officer Michael McCullough.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Jan. 2025
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The protagonist’s name and her obsession with anthropology likely aren’t coincidental.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fortuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortuitous. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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