Fortuitous



GRE 蓝宝 Barron TOEFL

解释

GRE 红宝书

• adj. 偶然的, 意外的; 幸运的
• ［英］ adj. 偶然的, 意外的 ( happening by chance; accidental) ; 幸运的 ( lucky)
• ［记］ 来自fortune ( 运气) -> 运气的 -> 偶然的
• ［例］ It is fortuitous that I left the freeway just before the horrible accident.

Webster Collegiate

adjective

• Etymology: Latin fortuitus; akin to Latin fort-, fors chance — more at fortune
• Date: 1653
• 1. occurring by chance
• 2.
  • a. fortunate, lucky <from a cost standpoint, the company's timing is fortuitous — Business Week>
  • b. coming or happening by a lucky chance <belted down the stairs, and there was a fortuitous train — Doris Lessing>
• Synonyms: see accidental
• ? fortuitously adverb
• ? fortuitousness noun
• Usage:
  • Sense 2a has been influenced in meaning by fortunate. It has been in standard if not elevated use for some 70 years, but is still disdained by some critics. Sense 2b, a blend of 1 and 2a, is virtually unnoticed by the critics. Sense 1 is the only sense commonly used in negative constructions.

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