serendipity
noun
ser·en·dip·i·ty
ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē 
: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for
also
: an instance of this
Examples of serendipity in a Sentence
As they leapfrog from South Africa to Singapore in search of local delicacies, the authors prove again and again that serendipity is the traveler's strongest ally: many of their most memorable meals issue from the hands of generous strangers …
—
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Saveur, June/July 2008
If reporters fail to keep these files, they seldom luck into bigger stories. Their investigative work typically happens only by design—analyzing the news, for instance—not by serendipity.
—Michael J. Bugeja, Editor & Publisher, 13 Jan. 2003
A week earlier, the doctor would have had no recourse but to make an incision in the baby's skin to get to a vein—a precarious option now, since time was running short and it would take nearly half an hour to assemble the necessary equipment. But in an extraordinary bit of serendipity, Hanson had attended a seminar on emergency medical care for children just a week before.
—David Ruben, Parenting, December/January 1996
They found each other by pure serendipity.
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Saveur, June/July 2008
If reporters fail to keep these files, they seldom luck into bigger stories. Their investigative work typically happens only by design—analyzing the news, for instance—not by serendipity.
—Michael J. Bugeja, Editor & Publisher, 13 Jan. 2003
A week earlier, the doctor would have had no recourse but to make an incision in the baby's skin to get to a vein—a precarious option now, since time was running short and it would take nearly half an hour to assemble the necessary equipment. But in an extraordinary bit of serendipity, Hanson had attended a seminar on emergency medical care for children just a week before.
—David Ruben, Parenting, December/January 1996
They found each other by pure serendipity.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rotate between disciplines—science, design, philosophy, history—and allow serendipity to play a role.
—Rob Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Now, in an act of serendipity, the successors of both spots, Patsy’s Pizzeria in East Harlem and Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn, have delivered their first out-of-state restaurants to Palm Beach County to compete — like all New York-style pizzerias do — against each other.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The images Thompson took of Handler and Andrew Stern — from a triptych of Andrew’s varying facial expressions to one of Handler tossing her arms affectionately around him — reflect that serendipity.
—Malina Saval, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
The young men Altobelli mentored across multiple decades at OCC included a freshman infielder who would eventually become a big-league pitcher in a moment of serendipity.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for serendipity
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rob Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Now, in an act of serendipity, the successors of both spots, Patsy’s Pizzeria in East Harlem and Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn, have delivered their first out-of-state restaurants to Palm Beach County to compete — like all New York-style pizzerias do — against each other.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The images Thompson took of Handler and Andrew Stern — from a triptych of Andrew’s varying facial expressions to one of Handler tossing her arms affectionately around him — reflect that serendipity.
—Malina Saval, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
The young men Altobelli mentored across multiple decades at OCC included a freshman infielder who would eventually become a big-league pitcher in a moment of serendipity.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for serendipity
Cite this Entry
“Serendipity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serendipity. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
serendipity
noun
ser·en·dip·i·ty
ˌser-ən-ˈdip-ət-ē
: the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share