Definition of hapen
1. happen [ v ] be a forerunner of or occur earlier than, as in
Examples: : "This composition anticipates Impressionism"
2. happen [ v ] come to pass
Examples:
"What is happening?"
"The meeting took place off without an incidence"
"Nothing occurred that seemed important"
(The New York Times,...)
There are a_number_of ways this could happen , the churchmen pointed_out , and here is an example :
(The Sun, [Baltimore]...)
The Board of County Commissioners , the Sanitary_Commission , the Planning and Zoning_Board and other county official bodies use recording_machines for all public business in_order_to prevent law suits and other misunderstandings about what actually happened at their meetings .
("National Affairs"...)
To Rickards , a 52 - year-old veteran 30 years in_the_air , it was an old story : His plane was being hijacked in mid-flight again much_as it had happened in 1930 , when Peruvian rebels made him land a Ford tri-motor at Arequipa .
Most passengers did n't know what had happened until they got on the ground .
(U.S. News and World Report,...)
A new report on the earnings records of toll roads in the_most recent 12 - month period - ending in February or March - shows what is happening .
Synonyms happen occur take_place go_on pass come_about pass_off hap Related Terms come anticipate work proceed turn_out arise recur concur develop fall fall befall chance go_off break synchronize give supervene come_around transpire break3. happen [ v ] happen, occur, or be the case in the course of events or by chance
Examples:
"It happens that today is my birthday"
"These things befell"
(Santayana)
(The Providence Journal...)
The only performance which was too soft for me was that of Yvette_Mimieux , but since someone had to become the victim of despoilers , just to emphasize that such things do happen at these fracases , I suppose this was the attitude the part called_for .
(Kenneth Hoffman and Ray Kunze, Linear Al...)
One sees that this happens because the null_space of * * f has dimension 1 only .
(Brand Blanshard, "The Emotive Theory," Robert...)
Indeed we should say , on_the_contrary , that the accident of our later discovery made no difference whatever to the badness of the animal 's pain , that it would have been every whit as bad whether a chance passer-by happened later to discover the body and feel repugnance or not .
(Tristram Coffin, Not to the Swift....)
It just did n't occur to Trig that anything serious would happen to him .
Let me tell you what happened to me today .
Synonyms happen bechance befall Related Terms anticipate4. happen [ v ] chance to be or do something, without intention or causation
Examples: : "I happen to have just what you need!"
(The Providence Journal...)
The law which governs home_rule charter petitions states that they must be referred to the chairman_of_the_board of canvassers for verification of the signatures within 10 days and Mr._Martinelli happens to hold that post .
("National Affairs"...)
He is generally and initially suspicious of any federal project , unless it happens to benefit his Gulf_Coast constituents .
(The Sun, [Baltimore]...)
This happened to be vice_versa , but even_so , the answer was a masterpiece .
(The Providence Journal...)
Her bouffant coiffure was fortunately combed on_the_left which happened to be the direction from which a brisk breeze was blowing .
(Booth Hemingway and Stuart H. Brown,...)
Soignee pools , alas , do not just happen .
Synonyms happen Related Terms chance5. happen [ v ] come into being; become reality
Examples:
"Her dream really materialized"
(Organic Gardening and Farming,...)
This happens on the grocer 's shelf or in your kitchen .
Synonyms happen materialize materialise Related Terms dematerialize anticipate appear offspring materialization materialisation6. happen [ v ] come upon, as if by accident; meet with
Examples:
"We find this idea in Plato"
"I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here"
"She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day"
Similar Spelling
happenhaven
ha'penny
have_on
Havana
