What does "fortune" mean?
Destiny, especially favorable.
Fortune
/ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Destiny, especially favorable.
- Grammar: fortune is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: chance, destiny, fate, luck.
- Useful contrasts: agency, bad luck, calamities.
- Usage evidence: Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
How to use "fortune"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fortune" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fortune" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fortune" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fortune" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fortune" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "chance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fortune", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Destiny, especially favorable. countable, uncountable
"She read my fortune. Apparently I will have a good love life this week, but I will have a bad week for money."
- 2 an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another wordnet
- 3 A prediction or set of predictions about a person's future provided by a fortune teller. countable, uncountable
- 4 an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome wordnet
- 5 A small slip of paper with wise or vaguely prophetic words printed on it, baked into a fortune cookie. countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a large amount of wealth or prosperity wordnet
- 7 The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident. countable, uncountable
"'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit."
- 8 your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you) wordnet
- 9 Good luck. countable, uncountable
"fame and fortune"
- 10 One's wealth; the amount of money one has, especially if it is vast. countable, uncountable
"He's amassed a small fortune working in the Middle East."
- 11 A large amount of money. countable, uncountable
"That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?"
Verb
- 1 To provide (someone) with a fortune. transitive
- 2 To tell the fortune of (someone); to presage. transitive
- 3 To happen, to take place. intransitive, obsolete
"Thẽ the heerdmẽ⸝ fleed and went there ways into the cite⸝ and tolde every thinge⸝ and what had fortuned vnto them that were poſſeſſed of the devyls."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A town in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
- 3 An unincorporated community in Cross County, Arkansas, United States.
Antonyms
Example
"Diligence is the mother of good fortune."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fortune"?
Common synonyms include: chance, destiny, fate, luck, a lot of money, accident.
How do you use "fortune" in a sentence?
Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
How do you pronounce "fortune"?
Pronounced /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.
Etymology 2
The name of the town in Newfoundland is derived from Portuguese fortuna (“luck, fortune”). The name may refer to a fortuitous event that occurred in the nearby bay.