chance

[chance]

A chance is a possibility but it's not a sure thing. There could be a chance of rain today or a chance you'll be the lead in the school play.

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

Noun
a risk involving danger; "you take a chance when you let her drive"

Noun
a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; "what is the probability of rain?"; "we have a good chance of winning"

Noun
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"

Noun
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances; "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance"

Verb
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"

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Verb
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling"

Verb
be the case by chance; "I chanced to meet my old friend in the street"

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

n.
The operation or activity of such agent.

n.
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.

n.
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.

n.
Probability.

v. i.
To happen, come, or arrive, without design or expectation.

v. t.
To take the chances of; to venture upon; -- usually with it as object.

v. t.
To befall; to happen to.

a.
Happening by chance; casual.

adv.
By chance; perchance.

Chance

Chance , n. [F. chance, OF. cheance, fr. LL. cadentia a allusion to the falling of the dice), fr. L. cadere to fall; akin to Skr. '87ad to fall, L. cedere to yield, E. cede. Cf. Cadence.] 1. A supposed material or psychical agent or mode of activity other than a force, law, or purpose; fortune; fate; -- in this sense often personifed.

It is strictly and philosophically true in nature and reason that there is no such thing as chance or accident; it being evident that these words do not signify anything really existing, anything that is truly an agent or the cause of any event; but they signify merely men's ignorance of the real and immediate cause.

Any society into which chance might throw him.

That power Which erring men call Chance.

2. The operation or activity of such agent.

By chance a priest came down that way.

3. 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.

It was a chance that happened to us.

The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins (O shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts.

I spake of most disastrous chance.

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

So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune. That I would get my life on any chance, To mend it, or be rid on't

5. (Math.) Probability. &hand; The mathematical expression, of a chance is the ratio of frequency with which an event happens in the long run. If an event may happen in a ways and may fail in b ways, and each of these a + b ways is equally likely, the chance, or probability, that the event will happen is measured by the fraction a/(a + b), and the chance, or probability, that it will fail is measured by b/(a + b). Chance comer, one who, comes unexpectedly. -- The last chance, the sole remaining ground of hope. -- The main chance, the chief opportunity; that upon which reliance is had, esp. self-interest. -- Theory of chances, Doctrine of chances (Math.), that branch of mathematics which treats of the probability of the occurrence of particular events, as the fall of dice in given positions. -- To mind one's chances, to take advantage of every circumstance; to seize every opportunity.

Chance

Chance, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Chanced ; p. pr. & vb. n. Chancing.] To happen, come, or arrive, without design or expectation. "Things that chance daily." Robynson (More's Utopia).

If a bird's nest chance to be before thee.

I chanced on this letter.

Often used impersonally; as, how chances it?

How chance, thou art returned so soon?

Chance

Chance, v. t. 1. To take the chances of; to venture upon; -- usually with it as object.

Come what will, I will chance it.

2. To befall; to happen to. [Obs.] W. Lambarde.

Chance

Chance, a. Happening by chance; casual.

Chance

Chance, adv. By chance; perchance. Gray.

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

To happen, come, or arrive, without design or expectation.

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

Happening by chance; casual.

By chance; perchance.

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Usage Examples

All species capable of grasping this fact manage better in the struggle for existence than those which rely upon their own strength alone: the wolf, which hunts in a pack, has a greater chance of survival than the lion, which hunts alone.

A problem is a chance for you to do your best.

As a rock star, I have two instincts, I want to have fun, and I want to change the world. I have a chance to do both.

Anywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny democracy, not dictatorship the rule of law, not the rule of the secret police.

All the evidence shows very clearly that if you are a member of a trade union you are likely to get better pay, more equal pay, better health and safety, more chance to get training, more chance to have conditions of work that help if you have caring responsibilities... the list goes on!

A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.

A show that no one thought had a chance has just finished its fifth year: Charmed. I think it's tougher for the younger networks, so I think they have a little more patience for the sake of the show. But who knows?

All we are saying is give peace a chance.

Misspelled Form

chance, xchance, dchance, fchance, vchance, chance, xhance, dhance, fhance, vhance, hance, cxhance, cdhance, cfhance, cvhance, c hance, cghance, cyhance, cuhance, cjhance, cnhance, cgance, cyance, cuance, cjance, cnance, chgance, chyance, chuance, chjance, chnance, chqance, chwance, chsance, chzance, chqnce, chwnce, chsnce, chznce, chaqnce, chawnce, chasnce, chaznce, chabnce, chahnce, chajnce, chamnce, cha nce, chabce, chahce, chajce, chamce, cha ce, chanbce, chanhce, chanjce, chanmce, chan ce, chanxce, chandce, chanfce, chanvce, chan ce, chanxe, chande, chanfe, chanve, chan e, chancxe, chancde, chancfe, chancve, chanc e, chancwe, chanc3e, chanc4e, chancre, chancse, chancde, chancw, chanc3, chanc4, chancr, chancs, chancd, chancew, chance3, chance4, chancer, chances, chanced.

Other Usage Examples

But at the beginning it was clear to me that concrete poetry was peculiarly suited for using in public settings. This was my idea, but of course I never really much got the chance to do it.

'Eyes Wide Open' took shape from two real life events straight from my own past. One was the sad suicide of my young nephew, a troubled kid, who was found at the bottom of a landmark cliff in central California. The second was a chance encounter forty years ago with none other than, ahem, Charles Manson!

A body of work such as Pasteur's is inconceivable in our time: no man would be given a chance to create a whole science. Nowadays a path is scarcely opened up when the crowd begins to pour in.

Aereo is the first potentially transformative technology that has the chance to give people access to broadcast television delivered over the Internet to any device, large or small, they desire. No wires, no new boxes or remotes, portable everywhere there's an Internet connection in the world - truly a revolutionary product.

At a time when nobody thought we'd ever see a new steel mill built in America, we took a chance and built one in a corn field in Indiana. Today Steel Dynamics is one of the largest steel producers in the United States.

But as far as being an American and loving this country and getting a chance to travel across it every day and meeting people on the road and folks in the military, I love this country on so many different levels.

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love, to work, to play, and to look up at the stars.

All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride.

Beset by a difficult problem? Now is your chance to shine. Pick yourself up, get to work and get triumphantly through it.