happenstance
English
Etymology
Blend of happening + circumstance.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhæpənˌstæns/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhap(ə)nˌstans/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Noun
happenstance (countable and uncountable, plural happenstances)
- (uncountable) The chance or random quality of an event or circumstance.
- Synonyms: accident, chance, coincidence, happenchance
- by happenstance
- 1964, Goldfinger, spoken by James Bond (Sean Connery):
- Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action.
- 2001, “People Talkin'”, in MTV Unplugged, performed by Jay-Z:
- Dammit, man this is the gift from God / This ain't happenstance
- (countable) A chance or random event or circumstance.
- Our meeting today was a happenstance, but I'm glad we crossed paths.
- the happenstances of life
Derived terms
Translations
chance or random quality of an event — see also chance
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Further reading
- “happenstance”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
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