noun
fortune
Chance determining the events of a person's life.
By good fortune, I find my lost keys near the door.
Etymology
Latin fortuna meant chance or luck. The English sense retains the idea of circumstances that shape a life beyond a person’s deliberate control.
More examples
- Despite a run of bad fortune, she refuses to give up.
- Their fortunes improve when steady work becomes available.
- She asks a palm reader to tell her fortune.
Forms
fortune · fortunes
fortunate adjective — Having good luck or favorable circumstances.
unfortunate adjective — Experiencing bad luck or unfavorable circumstances.