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.

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