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.
While Cullen was testifying, his former boss, Madigan, was by happenstance appearing in a courtroom five floors below, where U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey was holding a final pretrial conference in the case against Madigan and McClain, which begins with jury selection on Oct. 8.. Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2024 This wasn’t by happenstance; it was made possible through rezoning by city leaders and on the coattails of a crackdown on local gangs and a long-term, $1.4-billion river revitalization project. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024 As for Apple Intelligence, being inattentive to disability vis-a-vis accessibility to instead push a juicy, fatalistic narrative about Apple playing catchup isn’t happenstance either. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 By pure happenstance, Tatiana learned that her new BedStuy apartment was across the street from the Savant Studios retail space. Essence, 14 Aug. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near happenstance

Cite this Entry

“Happenstance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happenstance. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on happenstance

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