happenchance

English

Etymology

Apparently from happen +‎ chance, perhaps influenced by happenstance.

Noun

happenchance (countable and uncountable, plural happenchances)

(informal, originally regional) Coincidence.
- 1955, Henry van der Schalie, quoting Goodrich, “Calvin Goodrich, 1874-1954”, in University of Michigan Summer Session 1955 Announcement‎, page 12:
  It may be that some day I will find a respectable population of shells, but that will be mere happenchance.

Synonyms

Adjective

happenchance (not comparable)

Characterized by happenstance; chance; fortunate or unfortunate.
- 2017, Iain MacKenzie, Irenaeus's Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching‎, page 142:
  The advent of the Son in the flesh is no happenchance occurrence: it has a hinterland of deliberate and necessary preparation.

References

“happenchance, n. and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2013.

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.