Serendipity (noun, uncountable) is the occurrence of fortunate events by chance — finding or discovering something valuable or pleasant without having looked for it.
Example: "It was pure serendipity that they ended up sitting next to each other — and they have been friends ever since."
What Does Serendipity Mean?
Serendipity was coined in 1754 by the English writer Horace Walpole, who took inspiration from a Persian fairy tale called The Three Princes of Serendip (Serendip being an old Arabic name for Sri Lanka). In the story, the princes made clever discoveries through accident and keen observation. Walpole used the word to describe making pleasant and unexpected discoveries by chance — and the meaning has been stable ever since.
In modern English, serendipity describes those happy accidents where something good happens precisely because you were not planning for it. It appears in everyday conversation, literature, journalism, and scientific writing. Researchers frequently cite serendipity as a factor in major discoveries: penicillin, the microwave oven, and Velcro all resulted from fortunate accidents noticed by alert observers.
Key point: serendipity implies not just chance, but a fortunate outcome. It is not simply a random event — it is a lucky one. This is what distinguishes it from the neutral word coincidence.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level / Note |
|---|---|
| We found the perfect cafe by serendipity — we just walked down an unknown street. | B2 — everyday context |
| Their meeting was pure serendipity: both reached for the same book at the same moment. | C1 — narrative use |
| Fleming's discovery of penicillin is one of history's most celebrated examples of serendipity in science. | C1 — academic / scientific |
| By sheer serendipity, the very solution she needed was buried in a footnote of the article she had almost skipped. | C2 — literary register |
| The tech industry often relies on serendipity — the best ideas tend to emerge from unplanned conversations. | C1 — professional / journalistic |
Word Family
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- luck — general good fortune
- chance — an unplanned event (neutral)
- coincidence — two things happening together unexpectedly
- fluke — an unlikely lucky event (informal)
Antonyms
- design — a deliberate plan or intention
- misfortune — bad luck, an unfortunate event
- adversity — difficulty or hardship
Common Collocations
- pure serendipity — "Finding the letter was pure serendipity."
- a moment of serendipity — "The conversation was a moment of serendipity."
- by serendipity — "They met by serendipity at the conference."
- the role of serendipity — "The role of serendipity in scientific discovery is well documented."
- serendipitous discovery / encounter / meeting — "A serendipitous encounter changed his career."
- happy serendipity — "By happy serendipity, the parts were compatible."
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
It was a serendipity that I found the wallet. (wrong article — serendipity is uncountable)
It was pure serendipity that I found the wallet. (no article; or: "a serendipitous discovery")
The discovery happened serendipit. (not a word — use the adverb form)
The discovery happened serendipitously. (adverb: serendipitously)
I serendipit the answer. (serendipity has no verb form)
I stumbled upon the answer by serendipity. (use a verb like stumble upon, come across, discover)
Related Words
Practise This Word
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