Fortunate a.

(and sb.) Also 4–5 fortunat, 5 fortenat. [ad. L. fortūnāt-us, f. fortūnāre (see FORTUNE v.).]

  1.  Favored by fortune; possessed of or receiving good fortune; lucky, prosperous. Said of persons; also, of an enterprise, event, etc. Const. to and inf.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Nuns Priest’s Prol., 9.

1393.  Gower, Conf., III. 115.

c. 1490.  Lydg., Min. Poems, 37.

1514.  Bainbridge, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 231. Your moste blisside and honourable interprise, whiche I shall besiche the blisside Trynitie to make fortunate.

1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 13. The forces of the Turkes are fiercer and stronger than the forces of the Sarasins, their policies deeper, their attempts more desperat, their endeuours greater, and their successe fortunater.

1607.  Shaks., Cor., IV. iii. 39. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you.

1647.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 70. Nor was he very fortunate in the election of those Dependants, very few of his servants having been ever qualified enough to assist or advise him.

1705.  J. Philips, Blenheim, 48.

1830.  D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. vii. 150. He obeyed, and in the performance of his office was fortunate enough to save himself by flight.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 171. He had been compelled to give reluctant attendance at endless prayers and sermons, and might think himself fortunate when he was not insolently reminded from the pulpit of his own frailties, of his father’s tyranny, and of his mother’s idolatry.

  transf.  1870.  Lowell, Study Wind., 335–6. He [Lovelace] is to be classed with the lucky authors who, without great powers, have written one or two pieces so facile in thought and fortunate in phrase as to be carried lightly in the memory, poems in which analysis finds little, but which are charming in their frail completeness.

  b.  Fortunate Islands (= L. Fortunatæ Insulæ), fabulous isles of the Western Ocean, the abode of the blessed dead. Also fig.

1432–50.  trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 321. The Yles Fortunate be temperate, putte in the weste occean, supposede of mony men to be paradise for the temperaunce of the aier and fecudite or plentuosenes of the soyle.

1553.  Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. Contents. The fortunate Ilandes, otherwyse called the Ilandes of Canaria.

1639.  T. Brugis, trans. Camus’ Mor. Relat., 273. Keepe his course towards the fortunate Ilands of Parmenes favour.

  2.  Bringing or presaging good fortune; auspicious, favorable, lucky.

c. 1391.  Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 4. They wol caste that thei have a fortunat planete in hir assendent, and yit in his felicite.

1582.  Bentley, Mon. Matrones, II. 5. Thou art not onelie contented to haue forgiuen me my sinnes, but also hast giuen vnto mee the right fortunate gift of grace.

1676.  Lilly, Guide Astrol., 75. To consider in Nativities … if a Fortune fortunate and no way afflicted be in the seventh.

1741.  Middleton, Cicero, I. i. 20. Postumius the Haruspex, who attended the sacrifice, proclaming it to be a fortunate omen, called out upon him [Sylla] to lead his army immediately against the enemy.

1841.  Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 68. Thursday and Friday, especially the latter, are considered fortunate.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 154. It ought to be considered as a most fortunate circumstance that, when our country was, for the first and last time, ruled by the sword, the sword was in the hands, not of her legitimate princes, but of those rebels who slew the king and demolished the Church.

1880.  Mrs. Forrester, Roy & Viola, I. 11. ‘This is fortunate,’ she cries gaily.

  3.  a. absol. passing into a sb. (See next sense.)

1655.  Stanley, Hist. Philos., I. (1701), 29/1. The rich is more able to satisfie his desires, and to overcome great injuries; yet the fortunate excels him, he cannot indeed inflict hurt on others, and satisfie his own desires, his good fortune debars him of these.

1710.  Steele, Tatler, No. 202, 22 July, ¶ 5. Each coming upon the same Errand, to know whether they were of the Fortunate in the Lottery, which is now ready to be drawn.

1776.  Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. xv. 379. The fortunate are satisfied with the possession of this world.

  b.  sb. (with pl.) A fortunate person or thing; esp. in Astrol. a fortunate planet, sign, etc.

1614.  Tomkis, Albumazar, V. i.

1655.  H. Vaughan, Silex Scint. (1858), 37.

1894.  W. B. Harte, in Arena (Boston), June, 3. The colony of fortunates whom Almighty God sent ready booted and spurred to ride over the millions.