fortuitous

for•tu•i•tous

[[t]fɔrˈtu ɪ təs, -ˈtyu-[/t]] adj.

1) happening or produced by chance; accidental:

a fortuitous encounter[/ex]

2) lucky; fortunate

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Etymology: 1645–55; < L fortuitus, akin to fors, gen. fortis chance, luck for•tu′i•tous•ly, adv. for•tu′i•tous•ness, n. usage: fortuitous has developed in sense from “happening by chance” to “happening by lucky chance” to simply “lucky.” Some object to this last meaning, insisting that fortuitous be kept to its original sense of “accidental.” In modern standard use, however, the word almost always carries the senses both of chance and good luck. fortuitous is infrequently used to mean “accidental” without the suggestion of good luck, and even less frequently to mean “lucky” without a suggestion of accident or chance.