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Prepositions after adjectives

Fortunate in or fortunate for?

Fortunate in usually refers to success in an activity or area, while fortunate for refers to a person or thing that benefits from a situation.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with fortunate?

Use fortunate in for skill, success, or luck within an activity or area. Use fortunate for when something is beneficial to someone or something. Both are standard but used differently.

She was fortunate in her choice of business partners.
It was fortunate for the team that the weather improved.
He felt fortunate in having supportive parents.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
fortunate in + activity/area

Success or luck within a field or situation

Use fortunate in to describe being lucky or successful in a particular area of life or activity.

They were fortunate in their investments.
She has been fortunate in her career.
2
fortunate for + person/thing

Benefit affecting someone or something

Use fortunate for when describing a situation that has a positive result for a person, group, or thing.

It was fortunate for us that the train was delayed.
The timing was fortunate for the company.
3
fortunate to + verb

Opportunity or privilege

Use fortunate to before a verb to describe having a good opportunity or experience.

I was fortunate to meet her early in my career.
We are fortunate to live near the coast.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
fortunate in
She was fortunate in her academic career.
Lucky or successful within a particular area or activity.
fortunate for
It was fortunate for the children that school closed early.
Producing a good result for someone or something.
fortunate to
He was fortunate to find a taxi quickly.
Having the chance or luck to do something.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using fortunate for with activities

Use fortunate in for areas of success or experience.

✕ She was fortunate for business. ✓ She was fortunate in business.

Confusing fortunate for and fortunate to

Fortunate to is followed by a verb, not a person.

✕ We were fortunate for arrive early. ✓ We were fortunate to arrive early.

Missing the beneficiary after fortunate for

Fortunate for usually identifies who benefits from the situation.

✕ It was fortunate for that the road reopened. ✓ It was fortunate for the town that the road reopened.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She has been fortunate ___ her investments.
2. It was fortunate ___ the visitors that the museum stayed open late.
3. We were fortunate ___ catch the last train.

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Frequently asked questions

Is fortunate in common in modern English?

Yes. It is standard when talking about luck or success in a particular area, such as business or relationships.

Can fortunate for describe people?

Yes. It often introduces the person or group that benefits from a situation.

Can I say fortunate with no preposition?

Yes. You can simply say someone is fortunate when the context is already clear.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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