serendipity

IPA/ˌserənˈdɪpəti/
KK[sˌɛrəndˈɪpɪti]IPA/ˌserənˈdɪpəti/

serendipity — noun

1. the experience of discovering something pleasant, useful, or valuable without pl

1.nounC1
Definition

the experience of discovering something pleasant, useful, or valuable without planning it or expecting it — for example, finding a perfect gift in a small shop while walking home on a different route.

Example

The scientist discovered the vaccine by pure serendipity while researching a completely different virus.

by pure serendipity — adverbial phrase for accidental discovery

It was pure serendipity that Mei-Lin ran into an old classmate at Bangkok airport.

it was pure serendipity that [clause] — common sentence pattern

Common collocations
  • pure serendipity
  • a stroke of serendipity
  • a moment of serendipity
  • by serendipity
  • sheer serendipity
  • an element of serendipity
Synonyms
  • luck

    broader and more general; luck can be good or bad and does not require discovery of something

  • chance

    focuses on the absence of planning rather than the positive outcome; more neutral in tone

  • fortune

    more formal and often suggests a larger, life-shaping piece of good luck rather than a single discovery

  • accident

    can be neutral or negative; does not convey the pleasant or valuable aspect of serendipity

Antonyms
  • misfortune

    bad luck; the opposite of the positive outcome implied by serendipity

  • calamity

    a disastrous event, the direct opposite of a pleasant accidental discovery

Grammar Patterns

serendipity + of + noun phrase

by + serendipity

a stroke/moment of + serendipity

Usage Note

Serendipity is usually uncountable, meaning it does not normally take a or an. However, fixed phrases like a stroke of serendipity and a moment of serendipity allow countable use. The adjective form is serendipitous (e.g., a serendipitous meeting).

Common Mistakes

Winning the lottery was pure serendipity.
Winning the lottery was pure luck.
Serendipity involves finding something, not simply receiving good fortune through gambling.
I planned a serendipity trip to the beach.
I planned a trip to the beach and had a serendipitous experience.
Serendipity is a noun, not an adjective; use serendipitous instead.
There were many serendipities during my travels.
There were many moments of serendipity during my travels.
Serendipity is rarely used in the plural; use 'moments/strokes of serendipity' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While luck, chance, fortune, and accident all refer to events that happen without deliberate planning, serendipity is unique in requiring both a positive outcome and the act of finding or discovering something. Luck is the broadest term — winning a lottery is luck but not serendipity (because nothing is discovered). Chance emphasises randomness and can describe neutral situations (e.g., a chance meeting). Fortune suggests a generous, life-altering kind of luck, often with financial implications. Accident can describe minor mishaps (e.g., an accident with a coffee cup) that lack the pleasant discovery central to serendipity. In everyday use: 'I found this café by pure serendipity while looking for a bookstore' (the focus is on the happy discovery) vs. 'I found this café by chance' (the focus is on the lack of planning).

luck ↗chance ↗fortune ↗accident ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a stroke of serendipity
  • a moment of serendipity
  • an element of serendipity
  • pure serendipity

Prepositions

  • by serendipity
  • of serendipity

Etymology

PersianEnglish

The writer Horace Walpole invented serendipity in 1754 after reading the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip. The princes were always finding valuable things by accident while looking for something else. Serendip is an old Persian name for the island now called Sri Lanka.