Fortune means wealth or a large amount of money. When someone has made a fortune, they've become very rich, often through business success, a lucky investment, or years of hard work. The phrase “it cost a fortune” means something was extremely expensive, like when your parents joke that your new winter coat cost a fortune.

The word also refers to luck or chance, especially good luck. When you say someone had the good fortune to meet a famous scientist, you mean they were lucky enough to have that opportunity. A fortunate person is someone blessed by good luck or favorable circumstances.

Fortune can mean your fate or what will happen to you in the future. Fortune tellers claim they can predict your fortune, though of course they can't really see the future. When someone talks about seeking their fortune, they mean setting out to find success and prosperity, like the pioneers who traveled west hoping to build better lives.

This is why we sometimes say “fortune favors the bold” or describe life's ups and downs as the wheel of fortune. The connection between wealth, luck, and fate in one word reminds us that success often depends on a mixture of hard work, preparation, and being in the right place at the right time.