serendipity
noun

- the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way

(Oxford English Dictionary)


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English author Horace Walpole is responsible for the wonderful-sounding word serendipity, which he coined in one of the 3,000 or more letters on which his literary reputation primarily rests. In a letter of January 28, 1754, Walpole says that "this discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word."

Walpole formed the word from Serendip, an old name for Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka was also called Ceylon under British colonial rule). He explained that this name was part of the title of "a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip. As their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of...."

Serendipity was honoured as one of the 70 most beautiful words in English according to a poll of more than 40,000 people in 102 countries conducted by the British Foundation in 2004. The survey participants ranked "mother" at the top of the list.

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SYNONYMS

accidental discovery, blessing, dumb luck, fluke, good luck, happenstance, happy chance, luck, lucky break, stumbling upon, tripping over

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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:

"Don't underestimate the power of SERENDIPITY,... many scientific discoveries, and finding the right partner, are often SERENDIPITOUS."