Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
fortunate - 3 dictionary results

for⋅tu⋅nate

[fawr-chuh-nit]
–adjective
1. having good fortune; receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources; lucky: a fortunate young actor who got the lead in the play.
2. bringing or indicating good fortune; resulting favorably; auspicious: She made a fortunate decision to go on to medical school.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME fortunat < L fortūnātus made prosperous or happy (ptp. of fortūnāre). See fortune, -ate 1


for⋅tu⋅nate⋅ly, adverb
for⋅tu⋅nate⋅ness, noun


1. advantageous, successful, prosperous. Fortunate, happy, lucky refer to persons who enjoy, or events that produce, good fortune. Fortunate implies that the success is obtained by the operation of favorable circumstances more than by direct effort; it is usually applied to grave or large matters (esp. those happening in the ordinary course of things): fortunate in one's choice of a wife; a fortunate investment. Happy emphasizes a pleasant ending or something that happens at just the right moment: By a happy accident I received the package on time. Lucky, a more colloquial word, is applied to situations that turn out well by chance: lucky at cards; my lucky day.
for·tu·nate   (fôr'chə-nĭt)   
adj.  
  1. Bringing something good and unforeseen; auspicious.
  2. Having unexpected good fortune; lucky. See Synonyms at happy.
n.  One who has good fortune, especially a wealthy person.

[Latin fortūnātus, from fortūna, chance; see fortune.]
for'tu·nate·ly adv., for'tu·nate·ness n.

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.
Language Translation for : fortunate
Spanish: afortunado,
German: glücklich,
Japanese: 幸運な
Search another word or see fortunate on Thesaurus | Reference