fortune
UK: ˈfɔːtʃuːn | US: ˈfɔːrtʃən
n. 1. A large amount of money or assets.
n. 2. Luck or chance, especially as a force in human affairs.
n. 3. Fate or destiny (often personified).
fortune = fort<chance> + une<noun suffix>
- fort (from Latin fortuna, meaning "chance, luck, fate")
- une (a noun-forming suffix, often derived from Latin -ia or -ina)
Etymology Origin:
The word "fortune" traces back to the Latin fortuna, the name of the Roman goddess of luck and fate. Over time, it evolved through Old French (fortune) into Middle English, retaining its dual sense of both wealth and destiny. The morpheme fort preserves the core idea of unpredictability, while -une acts as a linguistic bridge to noun forms. This reflects how ancient beliefs about fate (personified by deities) gradually merged with material concepts like wealth.
She inherited a large fortune from her grandfather.
Fortune smiled upon him when he won the lottery.
The wheel of fortune turned, bringing unexpected success.
They sought their fortune in the gold rush.
It was his good fortune to meet a mentor early in his career.