Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An instance of misfortune; a mishap.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An unfortunate adventure or hap; a mischance; ill luck.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Mischance; misfortune; ill luck; unlucky accident; ill adventure.
  • noun (Law) homicide which occurs when a man, doing a lawful act, without any intention of injury, unfortunately kills another; -- called also excusable homicide. See Homicide.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An accidental mishap or misfortune.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an instance of misfortune

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English misaventure from Old French mesaventure, from mesavenir, to result in misfortune : mes-, badly; see mis– + avenir, to turn out (from Latin advenīre, to come to; see advent).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English misaventure, from Old French mesaventure

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Examples

  • This misadventure is already serving as really funny material for your writings!

    cramer - French Word-A-Day 2009

  • A 19-year-old man was fatally struck by a train in Pickering Sunday night in what police are describing as a "misadventure."

    Thestar.com - Home Page Amanda Kwan 2011

  • A 19-year-old man was fatally struck by a train in Pickering Sunday night in what police are describing as a "misadventure."

    Thestar.com - Home Page Amanda Kwan 2011

  • But men are also killed by "misadventure" - by senseless drowning, falls, and by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Aldrich, Lawrence L. 1990

  • But men are also killed by "misadventure" - by senseless drowning, falls, and by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Jablonski, Michael J. 1969

  • But men are also killed by "misadventure" - by senseless drowning, falls, and by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Walters, William 1969

  • But men are also killed by "misadventure" - by senseless drowning, falls, and by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Cudlike, Charles J. 1969

  • But men are also killed by "misadventure" - by senseless drowning, falls, and by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Roberson, John W. 1969

  • Therefore we removed the points gained by this type of "misadventure" - it includes a "look what you could have won" points tally.

    Voodoo Extreme 2010

  • A review of the resolution vote count makes it clear that the misadventure was a Republican idea; the only opposition came from 20 Democrats and 1 Independent in the Senate.

    Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Obama Camp Hits Back At Hillary's Reagan Criticism 2009

Comments

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  • an event that turned out badly; misfortune; mishap

    December 2, 2007