Serendipitously: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when something good happens by chance, often referring to unexpected discoveries that are beneficial or pleasant.

• She discovered a hidden talent for painting serendipitously when she joined an art class for fun.
• The scientists found the cure serendipitously while researching something else.

Implies something positive that happened by chance, stressing the randomness of the event that led to a beneficial outcome.

• They met fortuitously at a conference and ended up starting a successful business together.
• Fortuitously, she found a $20 bill on the street exactly when she needed it.

Describes something that happens without anticipation, in any context, but doesn’t necessarily imply either good or bad outcomes.

• He arrived unexpectedly at the party.
• The power went out unexpectedly during the storm.

Used when something happens by mistake or without intention, often implying carelessness or an unplanned result.

• He accidentally spilled coffee on his shirt.
• I accidentally dialed the wrong number.