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Kismet means fate or destiny.

In Islam, kismet refers to the will of Allah. But it is popularly used to refer to something that one believes was “meant to be”—or the reason why such a thing happened. It can also be spelled kismat, but that’s much less common.

Example: We ran into each other on Valentine’s Day, and neither of us had a date, so who was I to deny kismet?

Kismet came to English from Turkish, but it has a long history in Middle Eastern languages. The Turkish word kismet came from the Persian qismat, which came from the Arabic qismah, meaning “fate,” “portion,” or “division.” This Arabic word has its basis in the Arabic verb qasama, meaning “to divide.” The first records of kismet in English come from the 1840s.

In Islam, kismet refers to what some people might call “God’s will”—the divine reason for everything that happens. In popular use, it often refers to the supposed reason for a chance encounter or coincidence. Kismet is especially used in phrases like it’s kismet or it was kismet, implying that a certain event is meant to have occurred. The occurrence is almost always a positive one. Fate and destiny, on the other hand, are used for both positive and negative circumstances. In this way, kismet is somewhat similar to the word serendipity, which means “good luck” or “the tendency to make fortunate discoveries by accident.” Karma can also mean “fate” or “destiny,” but it most often refers to how one’s actions will affect what happens to them.

What are some other forms related to kismet?

• kismat (alternate spelling)

What are some synonyms for kismet?

• fate
• destiny
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What are some words that often get used in discussing kismet?

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• will
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• Islam
• Allah
• coincidence
• serendipity

What are some words kismet may be commonly confused with?

• karma

Kismet is sometimes used in a way that’s intended to give a heightened sense of divinity to what’s being described as fate.

So the internet is down across the south and other U.K. cities on I call that kismet and encourage everyone to put down their phones and pick up a book. Signing off for the day 🙋🏼‍♀️

— Jen⚡✨ (@zaileia)

I love when you're doing research while writing a book and everything fits neatly into place. Kismet.

— Duncan Ralston (@userbits)

I have no idea if it was kismet or a random coincidence I chose to watch Hidden Figures today, but wow… I’m really glad I did.

— Thomas Sanders (@ThomasSanders)

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Which of the following situations is most likely to be described as having happened due to kismet?

A. Finding your favorite flavor of ice cream at the grocery store
B. Having the book you’re reading remind you of an old friend and then seeing that friend at the library while returning the book
C. Getting paid on payday
D. Getting a promotion that you worked hard for