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.
luck or fortune: a game of chance.
a possibility or probability of anything happening: a fifty-percent chance of success.
an opportune or favorable time; opportunity: Now is your chance.
Baseball. an opportunity to field the ball and make a put-out or assist.
a risk or hazard: Take a chance.
a share or ticket in a lottery or prize drawing: The charity is selling chances for a dollar each.
chances,probability: The chances are that the train hasn't left yet.
Midland and Southern U.S.a quantity or number (usually followed by of).
Archaic. an unfortunate event; mishap.
verb (used without object),chanced,chanc·ing.
to happen or occur by chance: It chanced that our arrivals coincided.
verb (used with object),chanced,chanc·ing.
to take the chances or risks of; risk (often followed by impersonal it): I'll have to chance it, whatever the outcome.
adjective
not planned or expected; accidental: a chance occurrence.
Verb Phrases
chance on / uponto come upon by chance; meet unexpectedly: She chanced on a rare kind of mushroom during her walk through the woods.
Idioms for chance
by chance, without plan or intent; accidentally: I met her again by chance in a department store in Paris.
on the chance, in the mild hope or against the possibility: I'll wait on the chance that she'll come.
on the off chance, in the very slight hope or against the very slight possibility.
Origin of chance
1250–1300; Middle English from Old French chance, cheance from unattested Vulgar Latin cadentia “a befalling, happening”; see cadenza
Few of those who say they are “probably” going to vote for one candidate say there is a “chance” they would vote for the other candidate, suggesting that some of these “swing” voters may not vote on Election Day, the pollsters said.
Election live updates: Trump returns to Wisconsin; Biden to face live audience at town hall|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
In Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court voted on a strict party line, with the court’s two Republicans partially dissenting, writing in a separate opinion that the Green Party ticket should have been given a chance to fix its paperwork.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes Green Party presidential ticket from ballot, clearing the way for mail ballots to be sent out|Amy Gardner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
The news was bleak—Paul would need a kidney transplant if he had any chance of living a long life.
A Welcome Lifeline|Washington Regional Transplant Community|September 17, 2020|Washington Blade
Clearly, some state polls missed the mark in 2016, leading forecasts to assume he had less of a chance of winning than he did.
If voters are wary of stating support for Trump in polls, why does he outperform GOP Senate candidates?|Philip Bump|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
When the NHL playoffs began, the bookmakers didn’t give the Dallas Stars much of a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
Teams Don’t Win The Stanley Cup With A Goal Deficit. Can The Dallas Stars Change That?|Terrence Doyle|September 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
With chemotherapy, her doctors give her at least an 80 percent chance of survival.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At the moment, the only chance I get is when I go do Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Is there any chance the potential 2016 hopeful will stand up to the right and embrace paid sick leave?
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Do those things," he said, "and you'll have half a chance of being successful.
Streetwear pioneer, visionary entrepreneur, and community mentor Daymond John is honored with Hennessy Privilege Award|Hennessy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I had a chance to work with Jean-François Richet, who directed Mesrine.
Coffee Talk with Ethan Hawke: On ‘Boyhood,’ Jennifer Lawrence, and Bill Clinton’s Urinal Exchange|Marlow Stern|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said that the food was good and that sometimes evenings he had a chance to go out.
Warren Commission (1 of 26): Hearings Vol. I (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Just a mouthful of bread, and even that I do not get a chance to eat!
The Memoirs of Victor Hugo|Victor Hugo
More, he was determined to carry that experiment further, if he ever got the chance.
The Trespasser, Complete|Gilbert Parker
It's all luck about Nanny's eyes; and maybe you are only throwing away a chance you'll never have again.'
Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag|Louisa M. Alcott
They numbered only twenty-eight in all, and, being untrained, could have had no chance in an open fight with such opponents.
The Buffalo Runners|R.M. Ballantyne
British Dictionary definitions for chance
chance
/ (tʃɑːns) /
noun
the unknown and unpredictable element that causes an event to result in a certain way rather than another, spoken of as a real force
(as modifier)a chance meeting Related adjective: fortuitous
fortune; luck; fate
an opportunity or occasion
a risk; gambleyou take a chance with his driving
the extent to which an event is likely to occur; probability
an unpredicted event, esp a fortunate onethat was quite a chance, finding him here
archaican unlucky event; mishap
by chance
accidentallyhe slipped by chance
perhapsdo you by chance have a room?
chances are…orthe chances are…it is likely (that) …
on the chanceacting on the possibility; in case
the main chancethe opportunity for personal gain (esp in the phrase an eye to the main chance)
verb
(tr)to risk; hazardI'll chance the worst happening
to happen by chance; be the case by chanceI chanced to catch sight of her as she passed
chance onorchance uponto come upon by accidenthe chanced on the solution to his problem
chance one's armto attempt to do something although the chance of success may be slight
Derived forms of chance
chanceful, adjectivechanceless, adjective
Word Origin for chance
C13: from Old French cheance, from cheoir to fall, occur, from Latin cadere