chance meaning and definition

CHANCE noun

Definition of chance (noun)

1. a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
   • "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance"
   • synonyms: opportunity
2. 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"
   • synonyms: fortune, hazard, luck
3. a risk involving danger
   • "you take a chance when you let her drive"
4. 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"
   • synonyms: probability
5. the possibility of future success
   • "his prospects as a writer are excellent"
   • synonyms: prospect

CHANCE verb

Definition of chance (verb)

1. be the case by chance
   • "I chanced to meet my old friend in the street"
2. take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
   • "When you buy these stocks you are gambling"
   • synonyms: adventure, gamble, hazard, risk, run a risk, take a chance, take chances
3. 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"
   • synonyms: bump, encounter, find, happen

CHANCE adjective

Definition of chance (adjective)

1. occurring or appearing or singled out by chance
   • "seek help from casual passers-by"; "a casual meeting"; "a chance occurrence"
   • synonyms: casual