happenstance

noun

hap·​pen·​stance ˈha-pən-ˌstan(t)s How to pronounce happenstance (audio)
ˈha-pᵊm-
: a circumstance especially that is due to chance
They came together by mere happenstance.
happenstance adjective

Examples of happenstance in a Sentence

Our meeting was pure happenstance. We met each other by happenstance. It was an agreeable happenstance that we met.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In that sense, the achievement of AGI or ASI is merely a happenstance along the way. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 The timing of the expulsions, particularly of the ICRC, is not happenstance. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025 But, honestly, nothing about this show has been happenstance. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025 Expand All The Boise Fire Department got a jumpstart on rescue operations Wednesday at a fatal building collapse that killed three and critically injured five near the Boise Airport thanks to a bit of happenstance. Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for happenstance

Word History

Etymology

happen + circumstance

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of happenstance was in 1857

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Happenstance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happenstance. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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