adventure [ME] The meaning of adventure has changed over the centuries. In the Middle Ages it meant ‘anything that happens by chance’ or ‘chance, fortune, or luck’, and came from Latin advenire ‘to arrive’. Although present from early on, gradually the idea of ‘risk or danger’ became a stronger element and later evolved into ‘a dangerous or hazardous undertaking’ and by the late 15th century into ‘an exciting incident that happens to someone’. Related words are advent [OE] ‘coming, arrival’ and adventitious [E17th] originally describing something happening by chance. See also revenue.