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g by chance; coming or occuring unexpectedly, or without any known cause; chance; as, the fortuitous concourse of atoms. It was from causes seemingly fortuitous . . . that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed. Robertson. So as to throw a glancing and fortuitous light upon the whole. Hazlitt.…

hance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; casual; fortuitous; as, an accidental visit.

In an accidental manner; unexpectedly; by chance; unintentionally; casually; fortuitously; not essentially.

amage or partial loss happening to the ship, or cargo, or freight, in consequence of some fortuitous or unavoidable accident; and it is borne by the individual owners of the articles damaged, or by their insurers. -- Petty averages are sundry small charges, which occur regularly, and are necessarily defrayed by the ma…

ing or coming to pass without design, and without being foreseen or expected; accidental; fortuitous; coming by chance. Casual breaks, in the general system. W. Irving.

Without design; accidentally; fortuitously; by chance; occasionally.

Fortuitous; casual. [Obs.]

ing together; confluence. The good frame of the universe was not the product of chance or fortuitous concourse of particles of matter. Sir M. Hale.

An event which may or may not occur; that which is possible or probable; a fortuitous event; a chance. The remarkable position of the queen rendering her death a most important contingency. Hallam.

The state of being contingent; fortuitousness.

Casual choice; fortuitous selection; hazard. [R.] No mode of election operating in the spirit of fortition or rotation can be generally good. Burke.

ng human success, apportioning happiness and unhappiness, and distributing arbitrarily or fortuitously the lots of life. 'T is more by fortune, lady, than by merit. Shak. O Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee fickle. Shak.

Fortuitous elegance; unstudied grace; -- used especially of language. Some beauties yet no precepts can declare, For there's a happiness, as well as care. Pope.

The uncertain result of throwing a die; hence, a fortuitous event; chance; accident; casualty. I will stand the hazard of the die. Shak.

of things; not in connection with the main design; not according to expectation; casual; fortuitous. As the ordinary course of common affairs is disposed of by general laws, so likewise men's rarer incident necessities and utilities should be with special equity considered. Hooker.

jective reality; esp., a theory of evolution which considers that variation may be purely fortuitous.