noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
UK, rare:/ˌsɛɹ.ɛnˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
London:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
Canada, General-American:[ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ɾi]
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˌseɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
Australian:[ˌseɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ɾi]
QueenslandRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S EH2 R AH0 N D IH1 P IH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The phenomenon of making an unplanned, fortunate discovery through a combination of unexpected circumstances and insightful recognition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: Murphy's law, perfect storm
2
noun
Meaning 2
An unsought, unintended or unexpected, but fortunate, discovery or learning experience that occurs by accident.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
2007, Erin McKean, speech at TED Serendipity is when you find things you weren't looking for because finding what you are looking for is so damn difficult.
The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: good luck, fluke, good fortune
History
Etymology
From Serendip (“variant of Serendib: Ceylon, Sri Lanka”) + -ity. Coined by English writer and politician Horace Walpole in 1754 based on the Persian story of the Three Princes of Serendip, who (Walpole wrote to a friend) were “always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of”.
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
սերենդիպություն
(serendiputʻyun)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Armenian:
երջանիկ պատահականություն
(erǰanik patahakanutʻyun)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Catalan:
serendipitat
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Chinese Mandarin:
巧事
(qiǎoshì)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Chinese Mandarin:
機緣湊巧 /机缘凑巧
(jīyuán còuqiǎo)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Chinese Mandarin:
機緣 /机缘
(jīyuán)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Chinese Mandarin:
机缘巧合
(jīyuánqiǎohé)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Danish:
lykketræf
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Dutch:
serendipiteit
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Dutch:
toevalstreffer
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Finnish:
onnekas sattuma
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Finnish:
onnenpotku
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Finnish:
onnenkantamoinen
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
French:
sérendipité
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
French:
aubaine
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
French:
heureux hasard
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
French:
chance
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
French:
coup de pot
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
German:
(glücklicher) Zufallsfund
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
German:
zufällige Entdeckung
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
German:
Serendipität
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Greek:
εύνοια της τύχης
(évnoia tis týchis)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Greek:
κωλοφαρδία
(kolofardía)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Greek:
ευτύχημα
(eftýchima)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Greek:
τυχαιότητα
(tychaiótita)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Icelandic:
slembilukka
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Ido:
serendipo
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Italian:
scoperta
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Italian:
serendipità
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Japanese:
偶察力
(gūsatsuryoku)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Japanese:
セレンディピティ
(serendipiti)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Norwegian Bokmål:
serendipitet
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Norwegian Bokmål:
lykketreff
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Polish:
szczęśliwy zbieg okoliczności
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Portuguese:
serendipidade
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Portuguese:
serendipitia
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Portuguese:
serendipismo
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Portuguese:
eventualidade
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Portuguese:
contingência
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Portuguese:
acaso
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Romanian:
serendipitate
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Russian:
везу́честь
(vezúčestʹ)
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Spanish:
serendipia
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Spanish:
serendipidad
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Swedish:
serendipitet
— unsought, unintended... and/or learning experience that happens by accident
Dutch:
gelukkig toeval
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Finnish:
onnekas sattumien summa
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
glückliche Fügung
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
wunderbares Geschehen
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
unverhofftes Glück
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
wunderbares Zusammentreffen
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
überraschendes Ereignis
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
glücklicher Zufall
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
Zufallstreffer
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
German:
Serendipität
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Greek:
τυχαιότητα
(tychaiótita)
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Ido:
serendipo
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Italian:
serendipità
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Portuguese:
providência
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Russian:
счастли́вое стече́ние обстоя́тельств
(sčastlívoje stečénije obstojátelʹstv)
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Sicilian:
sirinnipità
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Sicilian:
sirintipità
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Slovak:
šťastná náhoda
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Slovak:
šťastná zhoda okolností
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Swedish:
serendipitet
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
Ukrainian:
щасливий збіг обста́вин
(ščaslyvyj zbih obstávyn)
— a combination of events which are not individually beneficial, but occurring together produce a good or wonderful outcome
