fortune

A2 Topic:Money & Finance

Also spelled fortun and fortun’s

US /ˈfoɹt͡ʃun/ UK /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn/ See IPA manual

Freq #1966

Meanings

1

noun
A very large amount of money.

That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?
2

noun
Good luck or success.

He had the good fortune to find a job right after graduating.
3

noun
What is supposed to happen to someone in the future; fate or destiny.

She paid a woman at the fair to tell her fortune.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a very large amount of money. wealth riches affluence

2 noun · good luck or success. good luckluck felicity

3 noun · what is supposed to happen... fate destiny lot kismet

Word family

Forms fortunes

Derived forms befortunefortunatefortune-hunterfortune-seekerfortune-tellfortune-tellerfortune-tellingfortunelessfortunizeill-fortunemegafortuneunfortunate

Related forms fortuitous fortuity

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

fortune teller
a person who claims to predict someone's future

Noun + noun
sizable fortune
a substantial amount of wealth

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (6)

See all

Simplified etymology

Fortune comes from the name of Fortuna, the Roman goddess who personified luck and chance. English has used the word since the Middle English period.

Etymology

From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.

*bʰer- Proto-Indo-European fortune Middle English fortuna Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Money & Finance

External links

# fortune

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈfoɹt͡ʃun/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn/
**Frequency rank:** 1966

## Meanings
1. A very large amount of money.
2. Good luck or success.
3. What is supposed to happen to someone in the future; fate or destiny.

## Examples
- That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?
- He had the good fortune to find a job right after graduating.
- She paid a woman at the fair to tell her fortune.

## Derived Forms
- befortune
- fortunate
- fortune-hunter
- fortune-seeker
- fortune-tell
- fortune-teller
- fortune-telling
- fortuneless
- fortunize
- ill-fortune
- megafortune
- unfortunate

## Related Forms
- fortuitous
- fortuity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰer-
- Root: fortune
- Root: fortuna

## Etymology
From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.

## AI Etymology
Fortune comes from Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”. In current use, the main senses are “A very large amount of money” and “Good luck or success”.

## Topics
- Money & Finance

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