serendipity

/ˌsɛrənˈdɪpɪti/noun

The lucky discovery of something good purely by accident, as if it had been arranged.

Example sentence

“Finding that tiny bookshop while lost in the city was a moment of serendipity.”

Coined by Horace Walpole in 1754 from a Persian fairy tale, The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes kept making lucky finds.

Featured as word of the day on April 4, 2026.

Related words

sereneQuietly calm and untroubled; free from stress or disturbance.seniorRelating to the last year of study at a high school or university.serverA computer or program that supplies data or services to other computers or programs, often across a network.seminarA small advanced class in which students regularly meet with a professor to discuss research and ideas.shackA small, simple hut or cabin built roughly from cheap materials.semesterOne of the two halves into which a school or academic year is divided.