chance

chance
chanceless, adj.
/chans, chahns/, n., v., chanced, chancing, adj.
n.
1. the absence of any cause of events that can be predicted, understood, or controlled: often personified or treated as a positive agency: Chance governs all.
2. luck or fortune: a game of chance.
3. a possibility or probability of anything happening: a fifty-percent chance of success.
4. an opportune or favorable time; opportunity: Now is your chance.
5. Baseball. an opportunity to field the ball and make a put-out or assist.
6. a risk or hazard: Take a chance.
7. a share or ticket in a lottery or prize drawing: The charity is selling chances for a dollar each.
8. chances, probability: The chances are that the train hasn't left yet.
9. Midland and Southern U.S. a quantity or number (usually fol. by of).
10. Archaic. an unfortunate event; mishap.
11. by chance, without plan or intent; accidentally: I met her again by chance in a department store in Paris.
12. on the chance, in the mild hope or against the possibility: I'll wait on the chance that she'll come.
13. on the off chance, in the very slight hope or against the very slight possibility.
v.i.
14. to happen or occur by chance: It chanced that our arrivals coincided.
v.t.
15. to take the chances or risks of; risk (often fol. by impersonal it): I'll have to chance it, whatever the outcome.
16. chance on or upon, to come upon by chance; meet unexpectedly: She chanced on a rare kind of mushroom during her walk through the woods.
adj.
17. not planned or expected; accidental: a chance occurrence.
[1250-1300; ME < OF chance, cheance < VL *cadentia a befalling, happening; see CADENZA]
Syn. 2. accident, fortuity. 3. contingency. 4. opening. 14. befall. See happen. 17. casual, fortuitous.
Ant. 1. necessity.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • chance — [ ʃɑ̃s ] n. f. • XIIe chaance « manière dont tombent les dés »; lat. pop. cadentia, de cadere « tomber » → choir 1 ♦ (XIIIe) Manière favorable ou défavorable selon laquelle un événement se produit (⇒ aléa, hasard); puissance qui préside au succès …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Chance — (ch[.a]ns), n. [F. chance, OF. cheance, fr. LL. cadentia a allusion to the falling of the dice), fr. L. cadere to fall; akin to Skr. [,c]ad to fall, L. cedere to yield, E. cede. Cf. {Cadence}.] 1. A supposed material or psychical agent or mode of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chance — may refer to: Contents 1 Philosophy, logic and theology 2 Places 3 Music …   Wikipedia

  • chance — CHANCE. s. f. Sorte de jeu à deux ou trois à dez. Ils joüent à la chance. joüer à la chance. je luy ay livré chance. ramener sa chance. Il se prend aussi pour le point qu on livre à celuy contre lequel on jouë, & pour celuy qu on se livre à soy… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • chance — [chans, chäns] n. [ME chaunce < OFr cheance < VL cadentia, that which falls out < L cadens, prp. of cadere, to fall: see CASE1] 1. the happening of events without apparent cause, or the apparent absence of cause or design; fortuity; luck …   English World dictionary

  • chance — n 1 Chance, accident, fortune, luck, hap, hazard denote something that happens without an apparent or determinable cause or as a result of unpredictable forces. Chance serves often as a general term for the incalculable and fortuitous element in… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Chance! — Single par Tsukishima Kirari starring Kusumi Koharu (Morning Musume) extrait de l’album Kirarin Land Face A Chance! Face B Ramutara Sortie 7 novembre 2007 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • chance — CHANCE. s. f. Sorte de jeu de dés. Jouer à la chance. f♛/b] Il se prend aussi pour Le point qu ou livre à celui contre lequel on joue aux dés, et pour Celui qu on se livre à soi même. Livrer chance. Amener sa chance. [b]f♛/b] On dit figurément,… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • Chancé — Kantieg …   Wikipedia

  • chance — ► NOUN 1) a possibility of something happening. 2) (chances) the probability of something happening. 3) an opportunity. 4) the occurrence of events in the absence of any obvious design. ► VERB 1) do something by accident …   English terms dictionary

  • chance — I (fortuity) noun advantage, befalling, casus, circumstance, event, favorable time, fortuitousness, good fortune, happening, occasion, opening, suitable circumstance, time associated concepts: arise by chance, last clear chance II (possibility) …   Law dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”