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kismet

noun, often capitalized
kis·​met | \ ˈkiz-ËŒmet How to pronounce kismet (audio) , -mÉ™t\

Definition of kismet

1 : fate sense 1
2 : fate sense 2a
Synonyms Kismet Has Arabic Roots Example Sentences Learn More about kismet

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Kismet Has Arabic Roots

Is it your fate to tie macramé while drinking coffee and eating sherbet in a minaret? That would be an unusual destiny, but if it turns out to be your kismet, you will owe much to Turkish and Arabic. We borrowed kismet from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately derives from the Arabic qisma, meaning "portion" or "lot." Several other terms in our bizarre opening question (namely, macramé, coffee, sherbet, and minaret) have roots in those languages too. In the case of macramé and minaret, there is a little French influence as well. Coffee and macramé also have Italian relations, and sherbet has an ancestor in a Persian name for a type of cold drink.

Examples of kismet in a Sentence

he always said that it was kismet that they met at a showing of their favorite movie

Recent Examples on the Web

 In a moment of kismet, this week also marked the debut of the excellent Absolute Carnage No. 1 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman, the latest Marvel Comics event that has been building for a little over a year in the pages of Venom. — Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "Will Andy Serkis Take 'Venom 2' in a Darker Direction?," 8 Aug. 2019 Call it magic, kismet, or love at first sight, sometimes two people just click. — Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, "How Two Ultra-Stylish Brides Dreamed Up the Ultimate Countryside Wedding," 21 Feb. 2019 Kurtwood Smith, who played Red, the curmudgeonly patriarch on That ’70s Show, commented on the kismet of their union. — Vogue, "Emily VanCamp and Josh Bowman Are Married! Plus, 11 Other Celebrity Couples Who Met on Set," 17 Dec. 2018 My mom had got me a set of books that was sort of kismet, this really like changed my life. — Fox News, "Rick Harrison opens up about his journey to 'Pawn Stars'," 6 Aug. 2018 Silverman stumbled upon his passion project by kismet. — Brady Macdonald, latimes.com, "If this house could talk: Home biographer tells tales of famous names who once lived there," 25 May 2018 The video for Dunne’s single chronicles the kismet-like relationship between her parents, Marcy and Marty Dunne, who were born five days apart, baptized at the same church and on the same day and grew up living blocks apart from one another. — Lynn Petrak, chicagotribune.com, "Petrak: La Grange native signed by Atlantic Records films video in her hometown," 29 Mar. 2018 The last chapter of this season felt oddly like kismet. — Nick Moyle, Houston Chronicle, "UT knocked out of NCAA Tournament by Nevada," 16 Mar. 2018 The last chapter of this season felt oddly like kismet. — San Antonio Express-News, "Longhorns’ season ends in heartbreak," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kismet.' 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 kismet

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for kismet

Turkish, from Arabic qisma portion, lot

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More Definitions for kismet

kismet

noun
How to pronounce kismet (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of kismet

: a power that is believed to control what happens in the future

See the full definition for kismet in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on kismet

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with kismet

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for kismet

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