kismet
KIZ-met
/ˈkɪzmet/
Destiny; fate.
Often used in a romantic or mystical sense to describe events that were 'written in the stars.'
The story behind the word. Borrowed from Turkish 'kismet,' which comes from the Arabic 'qisma,' meaning 'portion' or 'lot.' It refers to the 'portion' of life assigned to you by God.
Word relationships
- fate: Fate can be good or bad; kismet often has a slightly more exotic or romantic flair.
- free will: The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate.
Commonly confused with
- serendipity: Serendipity is a happy accident; kismet is an inevitable destiny.
Collocations
- pure kismet
- it was kismet
- kismet at work
Idioms & expressions
- written in the stars
Example sentences
- "They met again in Paris years later; it was kismet." Romantic encounter.
- "He shrugged his shoulders and said, 'It is kismet,' accepting the loss of his fortune." Acceptance of fate.
Memory hook
Kismet sounds like 'Kiss-met'—they met and kissed because it was fate. Your portion of fate.
When not to use
Too poetic for business or technical reports.
Fun facts
- The word entered English in the early 19th century through literature about the Ottoman Empire.
Related words
Explore more words
destiny, fate, fatalistic, predestined, fatalism, preordained
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