fortuitous errors

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fortuitous errors" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe mistakes or inaccuracies that occur by chance, often leading to unexpected positive outcomes. Example: "The fortuitous errors in the experiment led to a groundbreaking discovery that no one anticipated."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Transposition does not result from fortuitous errors during replication or lesion repair, but can be considered to be an active mutagenic process, resulting in mutations that are different from SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms).

Biology Direct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The best agreement with experiment is achieved with the PBE approach, likely due to fortuitous error cancellation.

Electrochimica Acta

This suggests that aggregate considerations may not be essential for reasonable radiation heat transfer predictions from luminous flames because of fortuitous error cancellation, resulting in typically a 10 to 30% net effect.

Combustion and Flame

Reaping two times the luck thanks to her fortuitous error, Fike matched every number except the Powerball and clinched the $1 million prize twice -- becoming the first person in Virginia to win two $1 million Powerball lottery prizes in the same lottery drawing, the Virginia Lottery reports.

Huffington Post

That means that the results for (J_chi) are due to a fortuitous cancellation of errors.

Chemistry Central Journal

All gene segments less frequent than TRBV5-7 (withethexceptionof of TRBV3-1 itself) are currently annotated as pseudogenes, and all chromosome 9 orphon gene segments are in this group (we presume that the alignment to orphons is due to fortuitous PCR or sequencing errors derived from their paralogs on chromosome 7).

Genome Medicine

However, the Sun is much more complex than assumed by this model both its temperature and density vary strongly with radius and such excellent agreement (≈7% relative error) is partly fortuitous.

Wikipedia

The challenge is to evaluate whether these factors are indeed correlated to the phenomenon or if the statistical significance results from fortuitous association or type 1 statistical error (probability of rejecting a null hypothesis when it is true).

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

But does this imply that differences in tRNA repertoires represent selected adaptations to reduce frameshifting costs or is anticodon diversity under selection for other reasons, for example translational efficiency (Higgs and Ran 2008), and reduction in error rates constitutes a fortuitous side effect?

Genome Biology and Evolution

Or it could result from an error implementing the protocol or even a fortuitous garble on the wire which creates just the right message by mistake.

Columbia University

Secondly, the split may be fortuitous, resulting in an underestimation or overestimation of the prediction error.

Journal of Cheminformatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fortuitous errors" when you want to emphasize that mistakes, though unintentional, have led to a positive or beneficial outcome. This implies a sense of luck or unexpected advantage stemming from the errors.

Common error

Avoid using "fortuitous errors" to describe positive results that were deliberately engineered or logically followed from a process. "Fortuitous" implies an element of chance, not planned success.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fortuitous errors" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "fortuitous" modifies the noun "errors". It describes errors that, by chance, lead to a positive or beneficial outcome. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage, highlighting its ability to describe unexpected positive outcomes stemming from mistakes.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fortuitous errors" describes mistakes that unexpectedly lead to positive outcomes. Ludwig AI validates its correct usage. The phrase, while not exceptionally common, appears in various reputable sources spanning science, news, and academia. Alternatives include "lucky mistakes" and "serendipitous errors". Using "fortuitous errors" effectively involves understanding that the positive outcome should be unexpected and not the result of deliberate planning. Although not very frequent, if your context is scientific, academic or journalistic and you are looking for a slightly sophisticated expression, this phrase may be exactly what you need.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

serendipitous errors

Uses 'serendipitous' instead of 'fortuitous', highlighting the fortunate and unexpected nature of the errors.

chance errors

Replaces 'fortuitous' with 'chance' making it more straightforward.

lucky mistakes

Replaces 'fortuitous' with 'lucky', emphasizing the positive outcome of the errors.

adventitious mistakes

Uses 'adventitious,' a more formal synonym for 'fortuitous,' keeping the emphasis on chance.

happy accidents

Replaces both words to emphasize the positive and unplanned nature of the outcome.

opportune mistakes

Replaces "fortuitous" with "opportune", highlighting the favorable timing or circumstances of the mistake.

accidental successes

Shifts focus to the positive results arising from unintentional actions, implying errors as the catalyst.

providential errors

Substitutes 'fortuitous' with 'providential', suggesting divine or fortunate intervention in the errors.

unintentional benefits

Focuses on the positive outcomes that weren't planned, originating from errors.

unforeseen triumphs

Emphasizes unexpected victories arising from mistakes or miscalculations.

FAQs

How can I use "fortuitous errors" in a sentence?

You can use "fortuitous errors" to describe situations where mistakes unexpectedly lead to positive results. For example: "The "fortuitous errors" in the experiment led to a groundbreaking discovery."

What's a good alternative to "fortuitous errors"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "lucky mistakes", "serendipitous errors", or "accidental successes".

Is it appropriate to use "fortuitous errors" in formal writing?

Yes, "fortuitous errors" can be used in formal writing, especially when discussing unexpected positive outcomes in research, analysis or historical events. The word "fortuitous" is relatively formal, making it suitable for academic or professional contexts.

What is the difference between "fortuitous errors" and "careless mistakes"?

"Fortuitous errors" imply a positive outcome despite the initial mistake, while "careless mistakes" generally refer to errors that are easily avoidable and do not necessarily lead to positive results.