fortuity
fortuity — noun
- fortuitysingular
- fortuitiesplural
1. the quality or phenomenon of something fortunate happening without any plan or i
the quality or phenomenon of something fortunate happening without any plan or intention — a situation where luck, not design, is at work.
By a happy fortuity, Devika found her lost cat at the animal shelter the next day.
by + [adjective] + fortuity
The job offer arriving that same week was pure fortuity, not careful planning.
pure / sheer / mere + fortuity
Emre believed that fortuity, not his opening preparation, was behind his three straight tournament victories.
It was sheer fortuity that Ada found the missing key in the old coat pocket.
- chance
more general and neutral; can refer to any unplanned outcome, not necessarily positive
- serendipity
specifically describes happy accidents or fortunate discoveries, more literary in tone
- luck
broader term that can refer to a pattern of good outcomes; less precise about the element of chance
文法句型
pure / sheer / mere + fortuity
It was [adjective] fortuity that + clause
by + [adjective] + fortuity
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when the focus is on the quality or nature of an event rather than the event itself. When countable ('a fortuity'), it refers to a specific instance of good luck happening by chance.
常見錯誤
2. a specific event that occurs without an obvious cause, appearing to be the resul
a specific event that occurs without an obvious cause, appearing to be the result of random chance rather than purpose or explanation.
The discovery of the ancient vase was a fortuity that surprised even the archaeologists.
[event] + was + a fortuity
Chiara considered the cancelled flight merely a fortuity, not a sign of bad luck.
consider + noun + [as] + a fortuity
Felipe saw his great-uncle's pocket watch at the flea market as more than a fortuity.
Hiking in Alishan, Hana spotted a Formosan blue magpie and called it a happy fortuity.
- coincidence
implies two events happening together in a surprising way; more common in everyday speech
- fluke
informal register; an unexpected success or result that is unlikely to happen again
- happenstance
similar meaning but slightly less formal; often used in phrases like 'by happenstance'
文法句型
consider / dismiss / regard + noun + as + a fortuity
treat + noun + as + a fortuity
用法筆記
Always countable in this sense. Often used in structures where someone evaluates or classifies a surprising event as being driven by chance rather than purpose. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 names a specific event considered as a chance occurrence, while sense 1 describes the abstract quality or phenomenon of things happening fortunately by chance.