“Fortune” is a word from old French and started as meaning chance as a divinity, or chance as a power in human affairs. It stretched into “good luck.” There was a personified aspect to the concept of fortune. In Middle English, it included accident or adventure (around 818 AD) and often related to an enterprise or destiny.
Now the word’s meaning includes position as determined by wealth or the wealth itself, if it is a substantial amount. It can refer to a person’s condition or standing in life, and sometimes perjoratively to a wealthy woman (as in marrying a fortune).
Expressions with the work include “soldier of fortune” which incorporates both the adventure aspect and the monetary aspect–a person who is a mercenary, going to fight or war, a job taken by a risk-taker for money. We also hear of “tempting fortune” where fortune is used as a synonym for fate. We may spin the “wheel of fortune” and see what fate has in store for us-getting us into the predictive aspect of the word. And there is “telling your fortune” where a seer or person with ESP may predict your future.
Fortune: A word for the month of March. Beware the Ides of March was the fortune given to Caesar. May your own fortune be much happier.