Serendipitous

Serendipitous is an adjective used to describe something that occurs by serendipity—a fortunate and unexpected discovery that arises while pursuing something else. The sense combines two ideas: luck in the accident and the perceptive recognition of value by the observer.

The noun serendipity was coined by the English writer Horace Walpole in 1754 in a letter, inspired by The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes were always making discoveries by sagacity. The adjective serendipitous was formed later to describe events or findings that resemble serendipity.

In usage, the term is common in science, technology, journalism, and everyday language to describe discoveries or outcomes that are beneficial but not the result of deliberate pursuit. Classic examples often cited include the discovery of penicillin and the later development of Post-it Notes, both linked to fortuitous observations paired with insight. In contemporary discourse, serendipitous describes chance encounters or accidental alignments that lead to valuable connections or breakthroughs. Some critics caution that emphasizing serendipity can obscure the role of preparation, systematic research, and deliberate inquiry in achieving progress, but the concept remains widely used to capture the appealing notion that fortunate outcomes can emerge unexpectedly from unplanned circumstances.