n.
Pronunciation: ' fo ̇ r-ch ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fortuna; akin to Latin fort-, fors chance, luck, and perhaps to ferre to carry ― more at BEAR
Date: 14th century
1 often capitalized : a hypothetical force or personified power that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably or unfavorably
2 obsolete : ACCIDENT , INCIDENT
3 a : prosperity attained partly through luck : SUCCESS b : LUCK 1 c plural : the turns and courses of luck accompanying one's progress (as through life) <her fortune s varied but she never gave up>
4 : DESTINY , FATE <can tell your fortune > also : a prediction of fortune
5 a : RICHES , WEALTH <a man of fortune > b : a store of material possessions <the family fortune > c : a very large sum of money <spent a fortune redecorating>