Serendipity

Definition

The occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way; finding something good or valuable by luck rather than deliberate searching. It describes happy accidents and fortunate discoveries.

Example Usage

Meeting her business partner was pure serendipity—they randomly sat next to each other on a flight.

Origin

Coined by Horace Walpole in 1754, based on the Persian fairy tale 'The Three Princes of Serendip' (the old name for Sri Lanka), in which the princes were always making discoveries by accident.

Fun Fact

The concept has become central to innovation culture; many scientific breakthroughs and product discoveries, from penicillin to Post-its, are attributed to serendipitous moments.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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