happenstance

noun
/ˈhæpənˌstæns/US/ˈhap(ə)nˌstans/UK

Etymology

Blend of happening + circumstance. Attested from 1855 in US publications.

  1. derived from circumstantia
  2. derived from circonstance
  3. inherited from circumstaunce
  4. compounded as happenstance — “happening + circumstance

Definitions

  1. The chance or random quality of an event or circumstance.

    • by happenstance
    • Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.
    • Dammit, man this is the gift from God / This ain't happenstance
  2. A chance or random event or circumstance.

    • Our meeting today was a happenstance, but I'm glad we crossed paths.
    • the happenstances of life
    • So the orthography of many of our words is the result of a mere happenstance[…]

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for happenstance. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA