serendipity
advancedC1/ˌsɛr.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/ · ser-en-dip-i-ty
The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way; the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; a fortunate and unexpected discovery.
Meanings
The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way; the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; a fortunate and unexpected discovery.
کسی قیمتی یا خوشگوار چیز کا اتفاقاً اور غیر متوقع طور پر مل جانا؛ خوش قسمت اتفاق جس میں بغیر تلاش کے کوئی نعمت مل جائے۔
خوش قسمت اتفاق
khush qismat ittefaq
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Collocations
- pure serendipity
- happy serendipity
- moment of serendipity
- by serendipity
- serendipity of fate
- delightful serendipity
- sheer serendipity
- element of serendipity
Example Sentences
It was pure serendipity that I ran into my old friend at the airport and he happened to have a job offer for me.
یہ خالص خوش قسمت اتفاق تھا کہ میں ہوائی اڈے پر اپنے پرانے دوست سے ملا اور اس کے پاس میرے لیے نوکری کی پیشکش بھی تھی۔
Yeh khaalis khush qismat ittefaq tha ke main hawai adde par apne purane dost se mila aur us ke paas mere liye naukri ki peshkash bhi thi.
The discovery of penicillin was a stroke of serendipity — Alexander Fleming noticed the mold by accident.
پینسلین کی دریافت ایک خوش قسمت اتفاق تھا — الیگزینڈر فلیمنگ نے اتفاقاً اس پھپھوندی کو دیکھا۔
Penicillin ki daryaaft ek khush qismat ittefaq tha — Alexander Fleming ne ittefaaqan us phaphoondi ko dekha.
Their love story began with serendipity — they both reached for the same book at the library at the exact same moment.
ان کی محبت کی کہانی ایک خوش قسمت اتفاق سے شروع ہوئی — دونوں نے لائبریری میں بالکل اسی لمحے ایک ہی کتاب تک ہاتھ بڑھایا۔
Un ki mohabbat ki kahani ek khush qismat ittefaq se shuru hui — dono ne library mein bilkul usi lamhe ek hi kitaab tak haath barhaaya.
Life is full of serendipity — you just have to be open enough to recognize and embrace it.
زندگی خوش قسمت اتفاقات سے بھری ہے — بس آپ کو اتنا کھلا دل رکھنا ہوگا کہ انہیں پہچان سکیں اور اپنا سکیں۔
Zindagi khush qismat ittefaqaat se bhari hai — bas aap ko itna khula dil rakhna hoga ke unhen pehchaan sakein aur apna sakein.
Easily Confused With
Word Family
See Also
💡 Memory Tip
Think of 'serendipity' as containing the word 'dip' — imagine you 'dip' your hand into a lucky bag without looking and pull out something wonderful. The princes of 'Serendip' (Sri Lanka) always found treasures they weren't looking for!
Picture a traveler wandering through an unknown forest (Serendip/Sri Lanka) and accidentally stumbling upon a hidden treasure chest glowing with golden light — they weren't searching for it, yet there it is, a perfect gift from fate.
✍️ Urdu Poetry
ڈھونڈتے کچھ اور تھے، مل کچھ اور گیا زندگی کا یہ اتفاق، نصیبوں کا دیا
Dhoondte kuch aur the, mil kuch aur gaya Zindagi ka yeh ittefaq, naseebon ka diya
I was searching for something else, yet something else was found — this chance of life, a lamp gifted by destiny.
— Unknown, Unverified
* Poetry attribution is AI-generated and may require verification.
🗣️ Urdu Proverb
ڈھونڈے سے خدا ملتا ہے، اور اتفاق سے دنیا
Dhoondhay se Khuda milta hai, aur ittefaq se duniya
God is found through seeking, but the world is found through chance — meaning that worldly gifts often come to us unexpectedly.
📖 Etymology
Origin: English (coined from Persian/Arabic via Old Sinhalese) "Serendip (سرندیپ)" — An old Arabic and Persian name for the island of Sri Lanka, derived from Sanskrit 'Suvarnadweepa' (Island of Gold)
First known use: 1754
The word was coined in 1754 by English writer Horace Walpole in a letter to his friend Horace Mann. He based it on the title of an old Persian fairy tale, 'The Three Princes of Serendip,' in which the princes made fortunate discoveries through accident and wisdom. 'Serendip' was the Persian and Arabic name for Sri Lanka. The word entered general usage slowly and became widely popular in the 20th century.