happenchance
English edit
Etymology edit
Apparently from happen + chance, perhaps influenced by happenstance.
Noun edit
happenchance (countable and uncountable, plural happenchances)
- (informal, originally regional) Coincidence.
- 1955, Henry van der Schalie, quoting Goodrich, “Calvin Goodrich, 1874-1954”, in University of Michigan Summer Session 1955 Announcement[1], page 12:
- It may be that some day I will find a respectable population of shells, but that will be mere happenchance.
Synonyms edit
Adjective edit
happenchance (not comparable)
- Characterized by happenstance; chance; fortunate or unfortunate.
- 2017, Iain MacKenzie, Irenaeus's Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching[2], page 142:
- The advent of the Son in the flesh is no happenchance occurrence: it has a hinterland of deliberate and necessary preparation.
References edit
- “happenchance, n. and adj.”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2013.
