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fortune

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːtʃuːn, -tʃ(ə)n/
Translate fortune | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of fortune

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] chance or luck as an arbitrary force affecting human affairs:some malicious act of fortune keeps them separate
  • luck, especially good luck:only good fortune has prevented British casualties
  • (fortunes) the success or failure of a person or enterprise over a period of time:he is credited with turning round the company’s fortunes
  • 2a large amount of money or assets:he inherited a substantial fortune
  • (a fortune) informal a surprisingly high price or amount of money:I spent a fortune on drink

Phrases

fortune favours the brave

proverb a successful person is often one who is willing to take risks.

the fortunes of war

the unpredictable events of war: from then on, the fortunes of war favoured the Scots

make a (or one's) fortune

acquire great wealth by one’s own efforts: he had come from Wales to make his fortune as a pop singer

a small fortune

informal a large amount of money: that dusty old painting on the wall could be worth a small fortune

tell someone's fortune

make predictions about a person’s future by palmistry, using a crystal ball, or similar methods: during uncertain times people flocked to have their fortunes told

Origin:

Middle English: via Old French from Latin Fortuna, the name of a goddess personifying luck or chance

fortune in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of fortune in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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