chance

1 of 2

noun

ˈchan(t)s 

1

a

: something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause

Which cards you are dealt is simply a matter of chance.

b

: the assumed impersonal purposeless determiner of unaccountable happenings : luck

an outcome decided by chance

c

: the fortuitous or incalculable element in existence : contingency

… you surely have endured strange chances …

—Alfred Tennyson

2

: a situation favoring some purpose : opportunity

needed a chance to relax

3

: a fielding opportunity in baseball

4

a

: the possibility of a particular outcome in an uncertain situation

What chance has he of pulling through?

also : the degree of likelihood of such an outcome

a small chance of success

b

chances plural : the more likely indications

chances are he's already gone

5

a

: risk

not taking any chances

b

: a raffle ticket

chance adjective

chance

2 of 2

verb

chanced; chancing

intransitive verb

1

a

: to take place, come about, or turn out by chance : happen

it chanced to rain that day

b

: to have the good or bad luck

we chanced to meet

2

: to come or light by chance

they chanced upon a remote inn

transitive verb

1

: to leave the outcome of to chance

2

: to accept the hazard of : risk

knew the trip was dangerous but decided to chance it

Phrases

by chance

: in the haphazard course of events

they met by chance

chance one's arm

British : to take a risk

Synonyms

Noun

• accident
• casualty [archaic]
• circumstance
• hap
• hazard
• luck

Verb

• adventure
• gamble (on)
• hazard
• risk
• tempt
• venture

Examples of chance in a Sentence

Noun

This is the chance of a lifetime!

Everyone deserves a fair chance of winning the award.

If you give me a chance, I know I can do a good job.

We didn't have much chance to talk about it.

There's a good chance that we'll finish on time.

If you are free tonight, is there any chance you could join me for dinner?

Which cards you're given is simply a matter of chance.

Verb

He couldn't chance playing with a broken toe.

I don't think we should chance driving in this snowstorm.

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bloomberg Binance’s plea deal Binance is getting a chance to live and fight another day, following a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice. —Peter Vanham, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023

Don’t miss out on the chance to grab these must-have items and make your Cyber Weekend shopping spree a resounding success. —Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2023

By chance, Jan Jeucken, an amateur bat enthusiast and co-author of the new paper, had been observing a group of serotine bats that gathered in the attic of a church in the Netherlands. —Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 21 Nov. 2023

Its contestants were folks desperate enough to gamble their lives for the chance at a big payday. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023

Making customers work a little harder for deals increases the chances that only price-sensitive consumers collect, thereby helping to protect a company’s margins, Neslin said. —Katie Deighton, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2023

Many companies ship gift baskets only on certain days at the beginning of the week, so that there’s less of a chance of a weekend delay. —Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2023

Meantime, the college football’s coming playoff expansion will improve his chances of winning the national title. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023

Houston’s last chance, fittingly, was a half-court heave from Brooks that would’ve stolen the game. —Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023

Verb

That's because farmers don't leave anything to chance. —Katherine Bourzac, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023

Of course, the company isn’t leaving anything to chance. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023

Steve and Kristi, the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, haven't left anything to chance. —Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2023

Against Penn State, no one in Bedford’s room was going to leave anything to chance. —Nick Baumgardner and Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press, 28 Aug. 2023

The 60-mile stretch of jungle, infested with snakes and prowled by criminals, is so deadly that few people ever chanced it. —Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023

Though the shark and crocodile of legend went their separate ways, their modern-day real-life counterparts still sometimes chance to meet. —Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 27 July 2023

Related One of the most recognizable and celebrated stars on the planet, Shakira is also notoriously meticulous, a perfectionist known for leaving little to chance. —Leila Cobo, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2023

Most smaller towns lack clinics, so many patients commute to Alaska’s capital city, chancing ferry and plane cancellations while racking up expensive travel fees. —First National Bank Alaska, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Sep. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chaunce, chance "occurrence (especially unforeseen or providential), stroke of good or bad luck, luck, fall of the dice," borrowed from Anglo-French cheaunce, chaunce, chance, going back to Vulgar Latin *cadentia, noun derivative (formally feminine singular from neuter plural) of Latin cadent-, cadens, present participle of cadere "to fall, be cast (of dice, lots), turn out, come to pass," perhaps going back to an Indo-European verbal base *ḱad- or *ḱHd- "fall," whence also Sanskrit śaśāda "(s/he) fell off/out," śatsyati "(s/he) will fall off/out"

Verb

Middle English chancen, chaunsen, verbal derivative of chance, chaunce chance entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing chance

• a snowball's chance in hell
• by chance
• chance one's arm
• chance would be a fine thing
• fighting chance
• chance on
• ghost of a chance
• in with a chance of
• leave to chance
• leave nothing to chance
• chance upon
• outside chance
• second chance
• on the off chance
• slim chance
• stand a chance of
• stand a chance
• take a chance
• stands no chance of
• half a chance
• dog's chance
• chance of survival
• game of chance
• main chance
• chance-medley
• fair chance
• a remote chance

See More

• a snowball's chance in hell
• by chance
• chance one's arm
• chance would be a fine thing
• fighting chance
• chance on
• ghost of a chance
• in with a chance of
• leave to chance
• leave nothing to chance
• chance upon
• outside chance
• second chance
• on the off chance
• slim chance
• stand a chance of
• stand a chance
• take a chance
• stands no chance of
• half a chance
• dog's chance
• chance of survival
• game of chance
• main chance
• chance-medley
• fair chance
• a remote chance

See More

Kids Definition

chance

1 of 3 noun

ˈchan(t)s 

1

: the uncertain course of events

they met by chance

2

: opportunity sense 1

had a chance to travel

3

: the possibility of loss or injury

took chances driving too fast

4

: the possibility or probability of something happening

there is a chance of rain

5

: a ticket in a raffle

chance

2 of 3 verb

chanced; chancing

1

: to take place by chance : happen

it chanced to rain that day

2

: to come unexpectedly

—used with upon

chanced upon a good restaurant

3

: risk entry 2 sense 2

knew the trip was dangerous but decided to chance it

chance

3 of 3 adjective

: happening by chance

a chance meeting