Windfall Meaning
/ˈwɪnd.fɔːl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounSomething that has been blown down by the wind.
nounThe act of something being blown down by wind.
Sentence Examples
The unexpected windfall has put my brother and his wife on easy street.
The corporation saw windfall profits this year.
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the rich uncle died, the family received a huge ____ of money.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company received an unexpected ____ when one of its old investments suddenly became very and highly profitable today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English windfal, wyndfall, equivalent to wind + fall. Cognate with Middle High German wintval, wintfal, German Windfall.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The danger from windfall is greatest to trees developed in dense stands, which are tall and have slender stems, and increases with the age of the stand."
— 1911, United States. Forest Service, Bulletin, numbers 94-103, page 15:
"Businessmen rushed to get every last commodity aboard a departing ship, hoping for a windfall once the world realized these would be the very last sacks of flour available, thus driving up prices."
— 2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage:
"One of six siblings who’d been raised by a single mother, the client had earned a windfall of around $400,000 after going viral in 2021."
— 2023 October 19, Brendan I. Koerner, “Watch This Guy Work, and You’ll Finally Understand the TikTok Era”, in Wired, →ISSN:
"In addition to following the lead of Newcastle and Crystal Palace in making this a season of glory for clubs who rarely, if ever, win a trophy, Tottenham are also set to benefit from a £100m windfall after qualifying for next season's Champions League."
— 2025 May 21, Simon Stone, “Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester United”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After the rich uncle died, the family received a huge ____ of money.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company received an unexpected ____ when one of its old investments suddenly became very and highly profitable today.