serendipity

/ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/

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”.

Why this word is great

SERENDIPITY — [Noun] The act of discovering something valuable or delightful through chance combined with acute observation. From Serendip (variant of Serendib, an old name for Sri Lanka) + -ity, coined by Horace Walpole in 1754, inspired by the Persian tale The Three Princes of Serendip, who made accidental but sagacious discoveries. Unlike happenstance (mere random occurrence) or fortuity (blind luck), serendipity demands both accident and discernment. It is the archaeologist brushing dirt from a potsherd to reveal an empire’s lost alphabet, the chef tasting wild berries that redefine a cuisine, the wrong turn down an alley that unveils a mural’s hidden meaning—the world’s quiet way of rewarding the attentive.

noun

  1. The phenomenon of making an unplanned, fortunate discovery through a combination of unexpected circumstances and insightful recognition.“The most random serendipity brought the two of us together, and now, we are happily married! If I was just 15 seconds slower, I'd have never met her! This discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word, which, as I have nothing better to tell you, I shall endeavour to explain to you: you will understand it better by the derivation than by the definition.”
  2. An unsought, unintended or unexpected, but fortunate, discovery or learning experience that occurs by accident.“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.”
  3. The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.