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chance

chance

780 2.1
An unplanned event or meeting that happens without reason
  • noun
  • /tʃæns/
translation icon : casualidad
  • But what are the chances of that?
  • only by chance
  • happen by chance
  • pure chance

An exact way, not by chance, but in an exact way?

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Examples

  • The scientist attributed some rare discoveries to chance rather than deliberate experimentation.

  • No, the chance of this is very small.

  • Things do not simply happen by chance; rather, we make them happen by design.

    Academic text (1990)
  • It's the role of chance in evolutionary events.

  • With this change also comes a chance for greater cooperation with the United States.

    Academic text (2008)
  • There's just less of a chance of issues.

  • There was and still is little chance of massive violence occurring in central Sri Lanka.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Their joint efforts will greatly increase the chances that the child will make a realistic vocational choice.

    Academic text (1991)
  • There is always a chance that it will rain during the picnic.

  • Winning the lottery is a matter of chance; the odds are typically against you.

Synonyms

luck
vschance
1.0

A force that makes good or bad things happen by chance

is an impersonal unexplained occurrence without implying a guiding force
possibility
vschance
2.0

A chance that something may happen

is the unexplained cause bringing an outcome rather than mere potential
probability
vschance
473 3.6

The chance that something will happen, often shown as a number or percent

is the actual unexplained occurrence rather than its measured likelihood
coincidence
vschance
426 3.4

A surprising event that happens at the same time as another by chance

is a general unexplained influence not limited to simultaneous or seeming plans
accident
vschance
355 1.0

An unexpected event that happens by chance

is the broader idea of unpredictability rather than a single incident
randomness
vschance
19 5.4

A lack of any predictable order or plan

is an occurrence produced by that lack of order rather than the quality itself
happenstance
vschance
15 8.5

A chance event that seems planned but is actually an accident

is plain unpredictability without any suggestion of planning or design
fair chance
vschance
12 2.4

A good but not certain chance of success

is the unpredictable occurrence itself, not the measured likelihood of success
luck of the draw
vschance
  • Informal
3 4.8

A result that depends only on chance, like drawing names from a hat

is broader unpredictability not limited to selection or who is chosen
sporting chance
vschance
  • UK
1 3.5

A fair possibility of success that is not certain

is the neutral idea of unpredictable occurrence, not specifically about winning
chance event
vschance
1 3.4

An event that happens by accident and is not planned

has the same meaning but refers generally rather than one specific occurrence
fortuity
vschance
  • Formal
1 9.1

An unexpected event that happens by chance

is a neutral, common description rather than formal or literary
likeliness
vschance
3.6

The chance that something will happen

is the unpredictable event itself, not the general estimate of its likelihood

Antonyms

How much you can know about what will happen next

Idioms

66 2.3

Happening without planning or intending

Just in case there is a small chance something will happen

fat chance
  • Informal
2 8.1

A way to say something is very unlikely to happen

1 6.0

Having a real possibility of succeeding at something

1 9.9

A very small chance, expressed by an old insulting phrase

8.4

A very small hope of success

A famous baseball double play that stands for perfect teamwork

Compounds

223 2.3

An opportunity to try again after making a mistake

fighting chance
  • Informal
26 4.0

A real chance to succeed despite the difficulty

12 2.4

A good but not certain chance of success

10 3.4

A very small possibility that something will happen

An activity where luck decides the result, like a lottery or roulette

outside chance
  • Informal
6 3.5

A very small possibility that something will happen

How likely it is to rain at a time or place

1 3.5

A fair possibility of success that is not certain

The possibility that two people will be friendly again after a disagreement

1 3.4

An event that happens by accident and is not planned

A final chance to succeed or avoid failure

chance music
  • Specialized
9.9

Music in which some sounds happen by accident or by a player's choice

chance variable
  • Specialized
7.9

A number that takes different values by chance in statistics to show random results

9.8

A number that shows how similar scores are between two random halves of a test

chance-medley
  • Archaic
9.9

An unplanned killing during a sudden fight, often in self-defence

A lucky unexpected event that brings something good

How Random

chaos
  • Specialized
14 6.8
randomness
19 5.4
chance
780 2.1
accident
355 1.0
coincidence
426 3.4

Surface Forms

chance singular
chances plural

Etymology

Chance comes from the Latin casus, 'a fall' or 'an event', and keeps the idea of things that 'fall' on us without a plan. That is why chance also means an unpredictable event or luck.