1
2
a
: prosperity attained partly through luck : success
fortune attended the general's campaign
b
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
often capitalized
: a hypothetical force or personified power that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably or unfavorably
a country favored by fortune
fortuned; fortuning
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
That good fortune is tangible in many ways.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Oscar fortunes aside, the sequel is off to a strong start at the box office, grossing more than $325.3 million worldwide through Dec. 3, with the holiday moviegoing season far from over.
—Diane Garrett, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fortune
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Noun
Mellon’s fortune Mellon founded the now-defunct railroad company Guilford Transportation Industries in 1981, but much of his wealth is from his grandfather, Andrew, who was Treasury secretary from 1921 to 1932.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
That good fortune is tangible in many ways.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
But for now the Pirates are standing pat and will build around their ace in hopes to turn the franchises fortune around.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Oscar fortunes aside, the sequel is off to a strong start at the box office, grossing more than $325.3 million worldwide through Dec. 3, with the holiday moviegoing season far from over.
—Diane Garrett, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fortune
Cite this Entry
“Fortune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortune. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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