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Mind your language

The unfortunate misuse of ‘fortuitous’

12 December 2020

9:00 AM

12 December 2020

9:00 AM

‘Try the sports pages,’ said my husband, stirring in his armchair. I was looking for examples of fortuitousused as though it meant ‘fortunate’. You and I know that it means ‘produced by chance’, and it seems a pity to lose the distinction.

The sports pages were indeed thronged with fortuitous. Football, it seems, is a game of chance.

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