FORTUITOUS

fortuitous

(adjective) occurring by happy chance; “profits were enhanced by a fortuitous drop in the cost of raw materials”

causeless, fortuitous, uncaused

(adjective) having no cause or apparent cause; “a causeless miracle”; “fortuitous encounters--strange accidents of fortune”; “we cannot regard artistic invention as...uncaused and unrelated to the times”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

fortuitous (comparative more fortuitous, superlative most fortuitous)

Happening by chance; coincidental, accidental.

Happening by a lucky chance; lucky or fortunate.

(legal) Happening independently of human will.

Synonyms

• (happening by chance): by accident, causeless, incidental; see also accidental

• (happening by lucky chance): happy, providential; see also lucky

Source: Wiktionary

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For*tu"i*tous, a. Etym: [L. fortuitus; akin to forte, adv., by chance, prop. abl. of fors, fortis, chance. See Fortune.]

1. Happening by chance; coming or occuring unexpectedly, or without any known cause; chance; as, the fortuitous concourse of atoms. It was from causes seemingly fortuitous . . . that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed. Robertson. So as to throw a glancing and fortuitous light upon the whole. Hazlitt.

2. (LAw)

Definition: Happening independently of human will or means of foresight; resulting from unavoidable physical causes. Abbott.

Syn.

– Accidental; casual; contingent; incidental. See Accidental.

– For*tu"i*tous*ly, adv.

– For*tu"i*tous*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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