Meaning
The occurrence of something that happens quite by chance; it is usually a happy instance.
Origin
The word was coined by English author Horace Walpole, as is evident in a letter he wrote on January 28, 1754. In the letter he refers to the discoveries in a fairytale called “The Three Princes of Serendip”.
Serendip refers to what is now Sri Lanka, and the tale narrates the unexpected discoveries they make during their travels. The author likens a discovery of his to the ones in the tale and calls it Serendipity, and the word is born. Apparently, the word was hardly used till the 20th Century, the word also got as adjective – serendipitous.
Example
It was serendipity that brought me to this island.
Picture Credit : Google
