Word of the day · 6 September 2026
serendipity
/ˌsɛrənˈdɪpɪti/
noun
The luck of finding something valuable or pleasant when you were not looking for it.
In a sentence
- Meeting her old teacher in that tiny café felt like pure serendipity.
- The lab's best result came from serendipity, not from the planned trial.
- Bookstores reward serendipity: the title you need is rarely the one you searched for.
In an image
Origin
Coined by Horace Walpole in 1754 from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes keep making useful discoveries by chance.
History
Walpole used the word in a letter to describe discoveries made by accident and sagacity. It stayed rare for a long time, then rose in English as a favorite label for fortunate surprises. Scientists and inventors still reach for it when a side result outruns the original aim. Today it sits comfortably in everyday talk about travel, research and relationships.
Nearby words
fluke · happenstance · fortuity
A word for the happy accident that lands better than the plan.