Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A chance circumstance: "Marriage loomed only as an outgrowth of happenstance; you met a person” ( Bruce Weber).
Wiktionary
- n. A chance or random event or circumstance.
- n. The chance or random quality of an event or circumstance.
WordNet 3.0
- n. an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental
Etymologies
- happen + (circum)stance.
Examples
“I won’t tell you the main happenstance, because that twist IS the plot … but …. you’ll recognize it too.”
“The saying " If....were better I would be okay" has come to sum up a dependence on "happenstance" to bring me or others a sense of well being, okay-ness, safety or joy.”
“The impression on an anti-Semite or potential anti-Semite is that the 'happenstance' of his vet status saves him from being rightfully obliterated.”
Caught in the Crossfire: Adrian Scott and the Politics of Americanism in 1940s Hollywood
“While I liked both Gwen and Harry, their relationship - with a 20-year age gap and a failed marriage each - did seem "happenstance," almost as though they ended up together because they were the only two left to get out of Yellowknife relatively unscathed.”
“When reached for comment, Adam L a/k/a clammyc noted that the timing of this post was merely "happenstance". by: you @ soon”
“Ms. Jarrett told the crowd that this economic crisis did not occur by "happenstance" but is the result of our "profound irresponsibility.”
Capitol Hill Blue - The oldest political news site on the Internet
“Using government money on a vast scale to keep the financial markets working, then to save the automobile industry from bankruptcy, has edged the Bush administration deep into a kind of happenstance socialism.”
“The word karcha comes from the word mikreh - "happenstance”
“He said he didn't want to call it "happenstance" but "we did a lot of things right.”
“happenstance" manner that haunts so many ensemble pieces.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘happenstance’.
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select words
luminous, radiant, malicious, zeal, ojalá, voluptuary, rubbish, purlicue, consarnit, upstart, precis, robinsonade and 66 more...
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happenstance
happenstance
newton, oops, klutz, chance meeting, fluke, fortuity, happenchance, eureka, happenstance, ka, kismet, serendipitous and 11 more...
Telofy “You can expect to see this word about twice a year.�? – Wordnik
Wow, I had thought it was fairly common until I noticed that it was even missing from one of my dictionaries. But it's so useful. Sep 22, 2009