Adjacent Words

Fortunate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FOR'TUNATE, a. [L. fortunatus. See Fortune.
1. Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some unexpected good; as a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate ticket in a lottery.
2. Lucky; successful; receiving some unforeseen or unexpected good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or efforts; as a fortunate adventurer in a lottery. I was most fortunate thus unexpectedly to meet my friend.
3. Successful; happy; prosperous; receiving or enjoying some good in consequence of efforts, but where the event was uncertain, and not absolutely in one's power. The brave man is usually fortunate. We say, a fortunate competitor for a fair lady, or for a crown.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having unexpected good fortune; "other, less fortunate, children died"; "a fortunate choice" [ant: unfortunate]
2: supremely favored; "golden lads and girls all must / like chimney sweepers come to dust" [syn: fortunate, golden]
3: presaging good fortune; "she made a fortunate decision to go to medical school"; "rosy predictions" [syn: fortunate, rosy]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 14th century 1. bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain ; auspicious 2. receiving some unexpected good Synonyms: see lucky • fortunateness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 favoured by fortune; lucky, prosperous. 2 auspicious, favourable. Etymology: ME f. L fortunatus (as FORTUNE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fortunate For"tu*nate (?; 135), a. [L. fortunatus, p. p. of fortunare to make fortunate or prosperous, fr. fortuna. See Fortune, n.] 1. Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain; presaging happiness; auspicious; as, a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate investment. 2. Receiving same unforeseen or unexpected good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or efforts; favored with good forune; lucky. Syn: Auspicious; lucky; prosperous; successful; favored; happy. Usage: Fortunate, Successful, Prosperous. A man is fortunate, when he is favored of fortune, and has unusual blessings fall to his lot; successful when he gains what he aims at; prosperous when he succeeds in those things which men commonly desire. One may be fortunate, in some cases, where he is not successful; he may be successful, but, if he has been mistaken in the value of what he has aimed at, he may for that reason fail to be prosperous.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you say that someone or something is fortunate, you mean that they are lucky. He was extremely fortunate to survive... It was fortunate that the water was shallow... She is in the fortunate position of having plenty of choice. = lucky ? unfortunate ADJ: oft ADJ to-inf, ADJ in -ing, it v-link ADJ that

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Successful, prosperous, favored, happy. See lucky. 2. Propitious, auspicious, favorable, advantageous, lucky, happy.

Moby Thesaurus

advantageous, appropriate, assured of success, auspicious, befitting, benign, benignant, blessed, blessed with luck, bright, coming, convenient, crowned with success, dexter, expedient, fair, favorable, favored, favoring, felicitous, fit, fitting, fortuitous, full of promise, golden, good, happy, in luck, lucky, lucky dog, made, man of substance, meet, of good omen, of happy portent, of promise, on the up-and-up, on top, opportune, out in front, promising, propitious, prosperous, providential, ripe, seasonable, sortable, succeeding, successful, suitable, surefire, timely, triumphant, well, well-timed, white