1 fortune | Definition of fortune

fortune

noun
for·​tune | \ ˈfȯr-chÉ™n How to pronounce fortune (audio) \

Definition of fortune

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 often capitalized : a hypothetical force or personified power that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably or unfavorably a country favored by fortune
2 obsolete : accident, incident
3a : prosperity attained partly through luck : success fortune attended the general's campaign
c fortunes plural : the turns and courses of luck accompanying one's progress (as through life) her fortunes varied but she never gave up
4 : destiny, fate can tell your fortune also : a prediction of fortune
5a : riches, wealth a man of fortune
b : a store of material possessions the family fortune
c : a very large sum of money spent a fortune redecorating

fortune

verb
fortuned; fortuning

Definition of fortune (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 obsolete : to give good or bad fortune to
2 archaic : to endow with a fortune

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Synonyms & Antonyms for fortune

Synonyms: Noun

future

Antonyms: Noun

past

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Examples of fortune in a Sentence

Noun

He hoped to achieve fame and fortune. They had the good fortune to escape injury when their car crashed. The book follows the fortunes of two families through the years.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Changing coaches hasn’t done much to change Gadsden City’s football fortunes. Josh Bean | [email protected], al, "See this week’s Huntsville HS football picks," 10 Sep. 2019 Snap pictures of magicians and fortune-tellers, then venture into the medina’s maze of market stalls. National Geographic, "Morocco Community Service: Cultural Preservation," 10 Sep. 2019 Conte’s fortunes are dicier in the Senate, where a coalition of the populist 5-Star Movement and center-left Democrats holds a much-slimmer margin in Tuesday’s vote. Washington Post, "The Latest: Italian premier wins first confidence vote," 10 Sep. 2019 This year's defense is healthy, but the Falcons' fortunes remain primarily tied to quarterback Matt Ryan. Si Wire, SI.com, "Falcons vs. Vikings Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time," 8 Sep. 2019 Walker emphasized in recent interviews prior to Sunday’s game how a few additions can’t always quickly change a team’s fortune. Branson Wright, cleveland.com, "Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker not surprised by Sunday’s outcome," 8 Sep. 2019 Leo and Gino are visited by a fortune teller who predicts a woman’s death in the future. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, "3 new fall books: Moving to Minnesota, a moving Muslim story and Monkeewrench," 8 Sep. 2019 But again, good fortune kept the Warriors in the game. Chris Jeter, baltimoresun.com, "Four Harford County football teams open play with wins," 7 Sep. 2019 Many investors see fortunes to be made from this new breed of enterprise software, which is spreading from Big Tech’s computer labs to corporations everywhere. The Economist, "Technology firms vie for billions in data-analytics contracts," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fortune.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of fortune

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for fortune

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fortuna; akin to Latin fort-, fors chance, luck, and perhaps to ferre to carry — more at bear

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More Definitions for fortune

fortune

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fortune

: a very large amount of money
somewhat formal : a great amount of money or possessions
: something that happens by chance

fortune

noun
for·​tune | \ ˈfȯr-chÉ™n How to pronounce fortune (audio) \

Kids Definition of fortune

1 : a large sum of money
2 : what happens to a person : good or bad luck
3 : what is to happen to someone in the future I had my fortune told.
4 : wealth sense 1 They are a family of great fortune.

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