fortunate

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ UK /ˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #5426

Meanings

1

adj
Lucky; having or bringing good luck.

We were fortunate not to be fined for speeding.
2

adj
Enjoying advantages that many others do not have.

The charity helps less fortunate families afford school supplies.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lucky; having or bringing... lucky

2 adj · enjoying advantages that... privileged

More auspicious prosperous successful

Opposites

unfortunate unlucky

Word family

Derived forms fortunatelyfortunatenessmisfortunatesuperfortunateunfortunately

Related forms luckily unluckily

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

less fortunate
having fewer advantages or worse luck than someone else

Adverb + adjective

Etymology

From Middle English fortunat(e) (“fortunate”), from Latin fortūnātus, from fortūna (“fortune, luck”) + -ātus (adjective-forming suffix), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also Middle English fortunaten (“to assure the success (of), make fortunate”); cognate with French fortuné (“lucky”). By surface analysis, fortune + -ate.

fortunat Middle English fortūnātus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# fortunate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfɔː.t͡ʃə.nɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 5426

## Meanings
1. Lucky; having or bringing good luck.
2. Enjoying advantages that many others do not have.

## Examples
- We were fortunate not to be fined for speeding.
- The charity helps less fortunate families afford school supplies.

## Synonyms
- auspicious
- lucky
- prosperous
- successful

## Antonyms
- unfortunate
- unlucky

## Derived Forms
- fortunately
- fortunateness
- misfortunate
- superfortunate
- unfortunately

## Related Forms
- luckily
- unluckily

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: fortunat
- Root: fortūnātus

## Etymology
From Middle English fortunat(e) (“fortunate”), from Latin fortūnātus, from fortūna (“fortune, luck”) + -ātus (adjective-forming suffix), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also Middle English fortunaten (“to assure the success (of), make fortunate”); cognate with French fortuné (“lucky”). By surface analysis, fortune + -ate.

## AI Etymology
Fortunate comes from Middle English fortunat(e) (“fortunate”), from Latin fortūnātus, from fortūna (“fortune, luck”) + -ātus (adjective-forming suffix), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See also Middle English fortunaten (“to assure the success (of), make fortunate”); cognate with French fortuné (“lucky”). By surface analysis, fortune + -ate. In current use, the main senses are “Lucky; having or bringing good luck” and “Enjoying advantages that many others do not have”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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