fortunate
UK /ˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ · US /ˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ adjective
- adjective Auspicious. “It is a fortunate sign if the sun shines on a newly wedded couple.”
- adjective Happening by good luck or favorable chance. “Patrick was the unlikely match-winner as Berkeley earned a fortunate victory over Chisolm.”
- adjective Favored by fortune. “We were fortunate not to be fined for speeding.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English fortunat(e) (“fortunate”), from Latin fortūnātus, from fortūna (“fortune, luck”) + -ātus (adjective-forming suffix), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also Middle English fortunaten (“to assure the success (of), make fortunate”); cognate with French fortuné (“lucky”). By surface analysis, fortune + -ate.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain; presaging happiness; auspicious; as, a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate investment.
- adjective Receiving same unforeseen or unexpected good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or efforts; favored with good forune; lucky.
Etymology [L. fortunatus, p.p. of fortunare to make fortunate or prosperous, fr. fortuna. See Fortune, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fortunate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details