Definitions for chance
tʃæns, tʃɑnschance

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.3 / 4 votes

1. opportunity, chancenoun

   a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

   "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance"

2. luck, fortune, chance, hazardnoun

   an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

   "bad luck caused his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance"

3. chancenoun

   a risk involving danger

   "you take a chance when you let her drive"

4. probability, chancenoun

   a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible

   "the probability that an unbiased coin will fall with the head up is 0.5"

5. prospect, chanceadjective

   the possibility of future success

   "his prospects as a writer are excellent"

6. casual, chance(a)verb

   occurring or appearing or singled out by chance

   "seek help from casual passers-by"; "a casual meeting"; "a chance occurrence"

7. chanceverb

   be the case by chance

   "I chanced to meet my old friend in the street"

8. gamble, chance, risk, hazard, take chances, adventure, run a risk, take a chanceverb

   take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

   "When you buy these stocks you are gambling"

9. find, happen, chance, bump, encounterverb

   come upon, as if by accident; meet with

   "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"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. chancenoun

   An opportunity or possibility.

   We have the chance

2. chancenoun

   Random occurrence; luck.

   Why leave it to chance when a few simple steps will secure the desired outcome?

3. chancenoun

   The probability of something happening.

   There is a 30% chance of rain tomorrow.

4. chanceverb

   To happen by chance, to occur.

   It chanced that I found a solution the very next day.

5. chanceverb

   To try or risk.

   Shall we carry the umbrella, or chance it?

6. chanceverb

   To discover something by chance.

   He chanced upon a kindly stranger who showed him the way.

7. chanceadjective

   happening by chance, casual

8. Chancenoun

   A male given name from English, an American pet form of Chauncey, in modern usage also associated with the word chance.

9. Etymology: From cheance, from cadentia, from cado.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Chanceadjective

   It is seldom used but in composition. Happening by chance.

   Now should they part, malicious tongues would say,
   They met like chance companions on the way. John Dryden, Hind and Panther.

   I would not take the gift,
   Which, like a toy dropt from the hands of fortune,
   Lay for the next chance comer. John Dryden, OEdipus.

2. CHANCEnoun

   Etymology: chance, Fr.

   1. Fortune; the cause of fortuitous events.

   As th’ unthought accident is guilty
   Of what we wildly do, so we profess
   Ourselves to be the slaves of chance, and flies
   Of every wind that blows. William Shakespeare, Winter’s Tale.

   The only man of all that chance could bring,
   To meet my arms, was worth the conquering. Dryden.

   Chance is but a mere name, and really nothing in itself; a conception of our minds, and only a compendious way of speaking, whereby we would express, that such effects as are commonly attributed to chance, were verily produced by their true and proper causes, but without their design to produce them. Richard Bentley.

   2. Fortune; the act of fortune, or chance.

   These things are commonly not observed, but left to take their chance. Francis Bacon, Essays.

   3. Accident; casual occurrence; fortuitous event.

   To say a thing is a chance or casualty, as it relates to second causes, is not profaneness, but a great truth; as signifying no more, than that there are some events besides the knowledge and power of second agents. South.

   The beauty I beheld, has struck me dead;
   Unknowingly she strikes, and kills by chance;
   Poison is in her eyes, and death in ev’ry glance. Dryden.

   All nature is but art, unknown to thee;
   All chance direction, which thou canst not see. Alexander Pope.

   4. Event; success; luck.

   Now we’ll together, and the chance of goodness
   Be like our warranted quarrel! William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   5. Misfortune; unlucky accident.

   You were us’d
   To say, extremity was the trier of spirits,
   That common chances common men could bear. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   6. Possibility of any occurrence.

   A chance, but chance may lead, where I may meet
   Some wand’ring spirit of heav’n, by fountain side,
   Or in thick shade retir’d. Paradise Lost, b. iv. l. 530.

   Then your ladyship might have a chance to escape this address. Jonathan Swift.

3. To Chanceverb

   To happen; to fall out; to fortune.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   Think what a chance thou chancest on; but think; ————
   Thou hast thy mistress still. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.

   How chance thou art not with the prince thy brother? William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. ii.

   Ay, Casca, tell us what hath chanc’d today,
   That Cæsar looks so sad. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.

   He chanced upon divers of the Turks victuallers, whom he easily took. Richard Knolles, History of the Turks.

   I chose the safer sea, and chanc’d to find
   A river’s mouth impervious to the wind. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. CHANCE

   Chance is a quarterly non-technical statistics magazine published jointly by the American Statistical Association and Taylor & Francis Group. It was established in 1988, and Taylor & Francis has published it since 2012. The magazine sponsors the blog "The Statistics Forum", which allows anyone to post their thoughts on probability and statistics.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. chance

   Chance refers to the occurrence of events or outcomes that cannot be accurately predicted or predetermined due to the presence of factors beyond human control or influence. It is the measure of uncertainty or probability in the occurrence of an event or the likelihood of a specific outcome within a set of possible alternatives. Chance is often associated with randomness and the absence of determinism, and it plays a significant role in fields such as statistics, gambling, and decision-making.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Chancenoun

   a supposed material or psychical agent or mode of activity other than a force, law, or purpose; fortune; fate; -- in this sense often personified

2. Chancenoun

   the operation or activity of such agent

3. Chancenoun

   the supposed effect of such an agent; something that befalls, as the result of unknown or unconsidered forces; the issue of uncertain conditions; an event not calculated upon; an unexpected occurrence; a happening; accident; fortuity; casualty

4. Chancenoun

   a possibility; a likelihood; an opportunity; -- with reference to a doubtful result; as, a chance to escape; a chance for life; the chances are all against him

5. Chancenoun

   probability

6. Chanceverb

   to happen, come, or arrive, without design or expectation

7. Chanceverb

   to take the chances of; to venture upon; -- usually with it as object

8. Chanceverb

   to befall; to happen to

9. Chanceadjective

   happening by chance; casual

10. Chanceadverb

    by chance; perchance

11. Etymology: [F. chance, OF. cheance, fr. LL. cadentia a allusion to the falling of the dice), fr. L. cadere to fall; akin to Skr. ad to fall, L. cedere to yield, E. cede. Cf. Cadence.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Chance

   Chance is an album released in 1980 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Chance

   chans, n. that which falls out or happens: an unexpected event: risk: opportunity: possibility of something happening: probability: (pl.) misfortunes.—v.t. to risk.—v.i. to happen.—adj. happening by chance.—adv. perchance.—n. Chance′-com′er, one who comes by chance or unexpectedly.—adjs. Chance′ful (Spens.), full of risk or danger, hazardous; Chanc′y (coll.), lucky, bringing good luck: also risky, uncertain.—By chance, accidentally; Even chance, the probability being equally for or against.—How chance? (Shak.) how does it happen that?—Stand a good chance, to have a reasonable expectation; Take one's chance, to accept what happens: to risk an undertaking; The main chance, the chief object (often used of matrimony): what is most important. [O. Fr. cheance—Low L. cadentia—L. cadĕre, to fall.]

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. chance

   An opportunity or possibility.

   There was always a chance that they could get married before the date they set as they so knew they were going to be a partnership for life.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 16, 2020  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. chance

   Song lyrics by chance -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by chance on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. CHANCE

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Chance is ranked #2540 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Chance surname appeared 14,256 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 would have the surname Chance.
   
   74% or 10,551 total occurrences were White.
   18.8% or 2,683 total occurrences were Black.
   2.6% or 383 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   2.3% or 339 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   1.3% or 185 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   0.7% or 113 total occurrences were Asian.

Matched Categories

1. • Happen
   • Possibility
   • Risk

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'chance' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #781

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'chance' in Written Corpus Frequency: #759

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'chance' in Nouns Frequency: #243

How to pronounce chance?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say chance in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of chance in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of chance in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of chance in a Sentence

1. Robert Hutchins:

   ...The task is overwhelming, and the chance is slight. We must take the chance or die.

2. Judge John Russo:

   Listen to me, if we have to, I will gag you... you will get a chance to talk, just zip it, you will get a chance to talk, I'm going to give you a chance to talk.

3. Kevin Magnussen:

   This is a massive opportunity, not many drivers get a second chance and I’ve been given a second chance and a proper chance. I ca n’t say how happy I am.

4. Naked Gun From the Files of Police Squad:

   Ed Doctors say that Nordberg has a 50 - 50 chance of living, though there's only a 10 percent chance of that.

5. Vijay Shekhar Sharma:

   If you don't give yourself a chance, who will ? If you don't take a chance, who will ? and I think you should take a chance on you.

Popularity rank by frequency of use