Dictionary

happenstance en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈhap(ə)nˌstɑːns/ (UK)
• /ˈhæpənˌstæns/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kob-der. Proto-Germanic *hampą Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *hampijanąder. Old Norse *happader.? ▲ Proto-Germanic *hampijanąder. Old Norse *heppader.? Old English hæppander.? Middle English happen Proto-Indo-European *-o- Proto-Indo-European *-nom Proto-Indo-European *-onom Proto-Germanic *-aną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Old English -an Middle English -en Middle English happenen English happen Proto-Germanic *-ungō Old English -ung Middle English -ynge English -ing English happening Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Latin circum Latin circum- Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *sth₂éh₁yeti Proto-Italic *staējō Proto-Italic *staēō Latin stō Latin circumstō Latin circumstāns Latin circumstāntiaslbor. Old French circonstanceder. Middle English circumstaunce English circumstance blend English happenstance Blend of happening + circumstance. Attested from 1855 in US publications.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The chance or random quality of an event or circumstance.
   • Dammit, man this is the gift from God / This ain't happenstance 2001, “People Talkin'”, in MTV Unplugged, performed by Jay-Z:
   • by happenstance
   • Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action. 1964, Goldfinger, spoken by James Bond (Sean Connery):
2. (countable) A chance or random event or circumstance.
   • So the orthography of many of our words is the result of a mere happenstance[…] 1855 March 31, “Sketch of Mr William Denton's Address at the Ohio State Phonetic Institution, 29th December, 1854”, in The Phonetic Journal, volume 14, Frederick Pitman, page 148:
   • the happenstances of life
   • Our meeting today was a happenstance, but I'm glad we crossed paths.

Forms

Deriveds

perhappenstance · happenstantial · happenstantially

Synonyms

accident · happenchance · coincidence · chance

Translations (11)

de zufälliger Umstand (chance or random quality of an event) · cy hap (chance or random quality of an event) · ro întâmplare (chance or random quality of an event) · cy damwain (chance or random quality of an event) · de (reiner) Zufall (chance or random quality of an event) · fr hasard (chance or random quality of an event) · la accidentia (chance or random quality of an event) · cs náhoda (chance or random quality of an event) · nl toeval (chance or random quality of an event) · it per caso (chance or random quality of an event) · es casualidad (chance or random quality of an event)