different between fortunate vs providential

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fortunatus.

Morphologically fortune +? -ate.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??t???n?t/, /?f??t???n?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f??t???n?t/, /?f??t??n?t/
• (General American, weak-vowel merger) IPA^(key): [?fo?t???n?t?], [?fo?t??n?t?]
• Hyphenation: for?tu?nate

Adjective

fortunate (comparative more fortunate, superlative most fortunate)

1. Auspicious.

   It is a fortunate sign if the sun shines on a newly wedded couple.
2. Happening by good luck or favorable chance.

   Patrick was the unlikely match-winner as Berkeley earned a fortunate victory over Chisolm.
3. Favored by fortune.

   This is a time when we think of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Synonyms

• (auspicious): rosy; see also Thesaurus:auspicious
• (happening by favorable chance): lucky; see also Thesaurus:lucky
• (favored by fortune): privileged, successful; see also Thesaurus:prosperous

Antonyms

• unlucky
• unfortunate

Derived terms

• unfortunately
• fortunately

Translations

See also

• unluckily
• luckily

References

• fortunate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• fortunate at OneLook Dictionary Search

Italian

Adjective

fortunate

1. feminine plural of fortunato

Latin

Etymology

From fort?n?tus (“fortunate, prosperous”)

Adverb

fort?n?t? (comparative fort?n?tius, superlative fort?n?tissim?)

1. prosperously, fortunately

Related terms

• fort?n?tus
• fort?n?

References

• fortunate in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• fortunate in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• fortunate in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, 1st edition. (Oxford University Press)

English

Etymology

From Latin pr?videntia (“providence”) +? -al

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p??v??d?n?l?/

Adjective

providential (comparative more providential, superlative most providential)

1. Pertaining to divine providence. [from 17th c.]
   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 88:

     The same belief underlay the providential view of history, in which the rise and fall of nations appeared as the expression of God's unsearchable purposes.

2. Fortunate, as if occurring through the intervention of Providence. [from 18th c.]

   Synonyms: heaven-sent, fortunate, lucky, serendipitous

Derived terms

• providentially

Related terms

• providence

Translations