Fortune

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈfɔːtʃuːn/
• US IPA: /ˈfɔɹtʃən/

Origin

From Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna ("fate, luck"). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.

Full definition of fortune

Noun

1. Destiny, especially favorable.
   She read my fortune. Apparently I will have a good love life this week, but I will have a bad week for money.
• Mrs. Cowley (1743-1809)you, who men's fortunes in their faces read
• 1959, Georgette Heyer, The Unknown Ajax Chapter 1, ...his lordship was out of humour. That was the way Chollacombe described as knaggy an old gager as ever Charles had had the ill-fortune to serve.
2. A prediction or set of predictions about a person's future provided by a fortune teller.
3. A small slip of paper with wise or vaguely prophetic words printed on it, baked into a fortune cookie.
4. The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident.
• William Shakespeare (1564-1616)'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.
5. Good luck.
   Fortune favors the brave.
• William Shakespeare (1564-1616)There is a tide in the affairs of men,
  Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
6. One's wealth; the amount of money one has; especially, if it is vast.
   He's amassed a small fortune working in the Middle East.
   My vast fortune was a result of inheritance and stock market nous.
   Her fortune is estimated at 3 million dollars.
7. A large amount of money.
   That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?

Synonyms

Antonyms

• (good luck) doom, misfortune

Derived terms

Verb

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To happen, take place. 14th-19th c.
• 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew ch. 8:Then the heerdmen, fleed and went there ways into the cite, and tolde everythinge, and what had fortuned unto them that were possessed of the devyls.
2. To provide with a fortune.
3. To presage; to tell the fortune of.

Anagrams

• ten-four