serendipitously

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "serendipitously" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an occurrence that happens by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Example: "She serendipitously discovered a hidden talent for painting while cleaning out her attic."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Jonty – who, serendipitously, happened to have written a book about mindfulness – got me a place on a six-week, NHS-funded MBCT course at the Maudsley hospital in south London.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

There is no pressure to make referrals, but connections often happen serendipitously.

The Guardian

An ozone-based alternative to the company's environmentally unfriendly bleach for paper and pulp, for example, required customers to undertake prohibitively expensive redesigns of their mills.The company's saviour came serendipitously in the form of a new system for manufacturing gases at small plants erected on its customers' sites.

The Economist

First, perhaps serendipitously, higher public spending is already on the way.

The Economist

After Cornwall, the second, less advertised leg of his holiday was, serendipitously, to Turkey.

The Economist

As the doubters prophesy, their coalition could well fall apart long before then.Still, at their serendipitously sunny press conference, in the garden of Number 10 on May 12th, the optimism was almost irresistible, and so (apologies) were the nuptial metaphors.

The Economist

As Richard Florida argues in "The Rise of the Creative Class", talented knowledge workers are choosing to cluster together in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London and Shanghai so they can interact with each other easily, both formally and serendipitously.

The Economist

Serendipitously, a burst occurred in the same part of the sky as the sun, and RHESSI saw it.

The Economist

Yet in few cases did they come together quite as serendipitously as in the creation of Betfair, one of Britain's most successful internet start-ups.The idea was of its time, arriving at the end of the dotcom boom.

The Economist

For BA, the strength of sterling has hurt as well, making London an expensive destination for travellers and reducing the value of BA's foreign revenues.BA's cost-cutting was a tactical response to all this and to a much-predicted downturn, but it was soon to lead, somewhat serendipitously, to a strategy.

The Economist

In 1856 the first commercially successful synthetic dye, mauve, was serendipitously discovered by British chemist William H. Perkin, who recognized and quickly exploited its commercial significance.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "serendipitously" to describe discoveries or fortunate events that occurred unexpectedly during a search or activity aimed at something else. It adds a touch of sophistication to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "serendipitously" merely to indicate something happened by chance. Serendipity implies a beneficial or fortunate outcome resulting from that chance encounter; ensure the context reflects this positive aspect.

Linguistic Context

The adverb "serendipitously" functions to modify a verb or clause, indicating that an action or event occurred by chance in a fortunate or beneficial way. As noted by Ludwig, it describes the manner in which something happened. The examples showcase its role in highlighting unexpected but positive outcomes.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

30%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "serendipitously" is an adverb used to describe events that occur by chance in a beneficial or fortunate manner. As Ludwig AI states, it's grammatically correct and usable in written English. With a 'Very common' frequency, it is regularly found in reputable sources such as The New York Times, The Economist and Encyclopedia Britannica. Its register is generally neutral to formal, making it suitable for professional and academic contexts. It's important to remember that while it describes a chance occurrence, "serendipitously" also implies a positive outcome, distinguishing it from words like "accidentally". To enhance writing, use "serendipitously" to add sophistication to descriptions of unexpected discoveries or fortunate events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fortuitously

Emphasizes the fortunate nature of the chance occurrence.

by a happy accident

Emphasizes the positive outcome of the accidental event.

by chance

This is a more direct and simple way of saying something happened unexpectedly.

as luck would have it

Implies that the occurrence was due to good fortune or fate.

accidentally

Focuses on the lack of intention behind the event.

coincidentally

Focuses on the occurrence of events happening at the same time by chance.

unexpectedly

Highlights the surprise element of the event.

unintentionally

Underscores that the outcome was not planned or intended.

inadvertently

Suggests the event happened without conscious intention or planning.

out of the blue

Highlights the sudden and unexpected nature of the event.

FAQs

How can I use "serendipitously" in a sentence?

Use "serendipitously" to describe an event or discovery that happens by chance in a happy or beneficial way. For example, "They "serendipitously" discovered a solution while brainstorming unrelated problems".

What are some alternatives to using "serendipitously"?

You can use alternatives like "by chance", "fortuitously", or "accidentally" depending on the context.

Is it correct to use "serendipitously" to describe a negative event?

No, "serendipitously" implies a positive or fortunate outcome. For negative events, use words like "accidentally" or "unintentionally".

What is the difference between "serendipitously" and "coincidentally"?

"Coincidentally" simply means that two or more things happen at the same time by chance, while "serendipitously" implies that the chance occurrence leads to a happy or beneficial outcome.