Happening by accident or chance, especially in a favorable way; occurring unexpectedly or by lucky coincidence. Not planned but beneficial.
From Latin fortuitus, meaning 'happening by chance,' derived from fors (chance, luck). Related to Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fortune and luck. The word originally meant any chance occurrence but has evolved to emphasize lucky or beneficial accidents.
Don't confuse 'fortuitous' with 'fortunate'! Fortuitous means 'by chance' (could be good or bad), while fortunate means 'lucky.' However, in practice, fortuitous usually describes happy accidents - like a fortuitous meeting that changes your life!
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